How long does an ocular tick live? - briefly
An ocular tick can survive roughly 5‑7 days without a blood meal and up to 2‑3 weeks when attached to a host eye; beyond that, survival is improbable.
How long does an ocular tick live? - in detail
A tick that attaches to the eye follows the same developmental timeline as other ixodid species. The complete life cycle consists of egg, larva, nymph, and adult stages, each requiring a blood meal before molting.
- Egg stage: lasts 1–2 weeks under optimal temperature (20‑25 °C) and humidity (>80 %).
- Larva: emerges and seeks a host within a few days; after feeding, it detaches and molts to the nymphal stage within 5–10 days.
- Nymph: remains on the host for 3–7 days, then drops off to molt into an adult over 7–14 days.
- Adult: feeds for 5–10 days, then either reproduces (female) or dies (male). A fertilized female can lay several thousand eggs within 2–3 weeks after the final blood meal.
If a tick is discovered on the ocular surface, it is usually in the larval or nymphal phase, because adults prefer larger hosts and longer attachment sites. Under favorable conditions, the entire cycle from egg to adult death can be completed in 2–3 months. In cooler or drier environments, each stage may extend to several months, allowing the organism to survive up to a year before completing reproduction.
Therefore, the period a tick can remain viable on the eye ranges from a few days (while feeding) up to several weeks if it detaches and seeks a new host, while the overall species lifespan, from egg to natural death, spans roughly 2–12 months depending on climate and host availability.