Ticks


Ticks, of which there are more than 500 species world-wide, are parasitic arthropods closely related to mites. Most ticks feed on the blood of warm-blooded mammals but some species also feed on birds, reptiles and even amphibians. Fish are apparently the only vertebrates not plagued by these little blood-suckers.

Many species of ticks can transmit diseases (Zoonoses) from an infected host to other uninfected hosts. Some of the more frequently transmitted organisms include parasitic worms, viruses, bacteria, Spirochetes and Rickettsias. The most important of these to Pennsylvanians are Spirochetes which cause Lyme Disease.

Common Types of Ticks:

  • Deer Tick
  • Dog Tick
  • Lone Star Tick
  • Brown Dog Tick
  • Rocky Mountain Wood Tick
  • Western-Blacklegged Tick