American Dog Tick
Dermacentor variabilis
high risk
arachnid
Overview
Common North American tick that transmits Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and tularemia. Important vector in eastern US.
Adult females 5mm, mottled gray-white with reddish-brown body. Males smaller with extensive mottled pattern. Engorged females reach 15mm.
Prevention Strategies
- •DEET or picaridin repellent
- •Permethrin-treated clothing
- •Tick checks after outdoor activity
- •Stay on trails in tick habitat
- •Treat pets with tick prevention
Control Methods
- •Remove with fine-tipped tweezers pulling straight out
- •Acaricide yard treatment
- •Treat pets with veterinarian-recommended tick prevention
Interesting Facts
- •Can survive 2 years without a blood meal between life stages
- •Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is ironically most common in southeastern states, not the Rockies
- •Females can lay 4,000-6,000 eggs in one batch
- •Can transmit tick paralysis - toxin in saliva causes ascending paralysis that reverses when tick removed