|  | Bites Stings | Tick Bites

Tick Bug Identification

We often hear of dog ticks and deer ticks. But, there are more than 800 species of ticks worldwide. The secretions and organisms released in the tick's saliva during bites transmit illness.

  1. Deer Tick

    • The deer tick is most often associated with Lyme disease in the United States. It inhabits much of the northeast and northern midwest. These ticks are dark in color and no bigger than a pinhead. They are part of the ixodidae family (hard ticks). They have a definitive dark, black plate (or scutum) that encompasses their back.

    Brown Dog Tick

    • This is the most commonly found tick in the United States. It only occasionally bites humans and primarily pursues household pets. Adult male ticks are flat and about 1/8-inch long. Females tend to be the same size. However, upon feeding, females become engorged and swell to 1/2-inch long and 1/4-inch wide. The brown dog tick is a ruddy brown, but when swelled, its torso resembled an olive tone.

    American Dog Tick

    • This tick feeds primarily on dogs and is host of the Rocky Mountain spotted fever. This species is encountered frequently in the Rocky Mountain region particularly in Idaho, Washington and Oregon. Adult ticks are generally brown but become charcoal gray when engorged.

Tick Bites - Related Articles