How do furniture ticks bite? - briefly
Furniture ticks grasp the host’s skin, pierce it with their hypostome, and inject saliva that contains anticoagulants to facilitate blood intake. The feeding period may extend for days while the tick’s body enlarges from the ingested blood.
How do furniture ticks bite? - in detail
Furniture ticks, primarily species such as Dermacentor variabilis and Ixodes ricinus that infest upholstered items, attach to a host by locating a suitable feeding site on the skin. The process begins when the tick detects carbon dioxide, heat, and movement, prompting it to climb onto the nearest exposed area. Using its forelegs equipped with sensory organs, the tick identifies a thin region of epidermis—often around the ankle, waist, or neck—where the skin is less keratinized.
The bite proceeds through several distinct actions:
- Insertion of the hypostome: The tick extends its barbed mouthpart, the hypostome, which penetrates the epidermis and dermis. The barbs anchor the feeding apparatus, preventing premature detachment.
- Secretion of saliva: Salivary glands release a complex cocktail of anticoagulants, anti‑inflammatory agents, and anesthetics. These compounds inhibit clotting, suppress the host’s immune response, and reduce pain perception, allowing prolonged blood intake.
- Formation of a feeding canal: The hypostome creates a narrow channel that remains open throughout the feeding period. The tick’s chelicerae assist in cutting a small incision to facilitate blood flow.
- Engorgement: Over several hours to days, the tick expands its abdomen as it ingests blood. The amount taken can reach up to several times the tick’s unfed weight, depending on species and host availability.
During attachment, the tick’s cement-like secretions solidify around the mouthparts, securing the organism to the host’s skin. This cement also masks the bite from the host’s immune surveillance. After engorgement, the tick detaches, often leaving a small, painless puncture that may become a raised, erythematous spot as the host’s tissue reacts to residual saliva.
Understanding each stage—host detection, hypostome insertion, salivary modulation, canal formation, and engorgement—clarifies how furniture-dwelling ticks achieve successful blood meals while minimizing detection.