Lone star tick identification  - Active Pest Control

Lone Star Tick

Category:

Actual Size: (4-6 mm) un-engorged and 1/2” (16 mm) engorged

Characteristics: Oval; reddish-brown becoming slate-gray when engorged.

Legs: Juveniles have 6 legs; adults have 8 legs

Antennae: No

Wings: No

Habitat: Usually found in more rural areas and are often near big animals.

Habits:

  • Cannot survive indoors.
  • Bites are painless and may go unnoticed for days.
  • Can cause people to develop an allergy to red meat, including beef and pork.

Lone Star Ticks in Georgia

Lone Star ticks are flattened from top to bottom. Adult and nymph ticks have 8 legs while larval ticks have 6 legs. The females have a brown or black body behind the scutum (front section of a tick); at the very backside of the scutum, they will have a white or silver-colored spot. Males have a mostly brown or black body behind the scutum with small white or silver streaks, bands, or stripes on the outermost parts of the body. All life stages of the tick feed on blood, and the males of this species must feed in order to reproduce. This is different from the other two ticks covered on our site. As mentioned above, ticks can feed on human or animal blood.

Lone Star Tick Habitat

There is no one primary host of this type of tick; they can and will get on numerous animals and humans. The nymphal and juvenile stages are found on smaller mammals or birds, but can occasionally get on larger animals or humans. They are very common throughout most of the United States and can be found in any areas where their hosts reside. They wait on grass or tall foliage and attach to a host as it passes. After feeding, the tick drops back off of its host to lay eggs or molt. These ticks mate while on the host, and once the female has taken a blood meal she will detach and fall to the ground to lay her eggs.

Lone Star Tick Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

Ticks become a serious problem when they start to feed on humans. Lone star ticks can transmit a large number of diseases to humans, but STARI is one of the most notable of them all. There is also a red meat allergy that has become associated with the bite of these ticks. These ticks are responsible for spreading a wide variety of diseases. This is most likely due to the fact that these ticks are not host-specific, which increases the chance of spreading diseases because they will feed on such a wide variety of hosts. If you know that you have been bitten by any tick send it off for testing immediately!

If you need more information on lone star ticks, contact your local tick control experts.

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