Deer Tick (Black-legged Tick)
Ixodes scapularis
severe risk
arachnid
Overview
Primary vector of Lyme disease in eastern North America. Also transmits anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and other diseases.
Adults 3-4mm unfed, 10mm engorged. Females red-orange with dark shield behind mouthparts. Males entirely dark. Nymphs sesame-seed sized.
Prevention Strategies
- •Tick repellent (DEET or picaridin) on skin
- •Permethrin-treated clothing
- •Tick checks after outdoor activity
- •Create tick-safe zones: mow grass, remove leaf litter
- •Deer-exclusion fencing
Control Methods
- •Remove attached tick with fine-tipped tweezers - grasp close to skin and pull straight out
- •Acaricide yard treatments
- •4-poster deer feeding station tick control device
- •Tick tubes (permethrin-treated cotton for mice nests)
Interesting Facts
- •Nymphs are most dangerous - sesame-seed sized and often overlooked
- •White-footed mouse is the primary reservoir for Lyme disease bacteria
- •Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in North America
- •Tick numbers have increased dramatically with warming temperatures and expanded deer populations