If you bring a tick home, how long does it live? - briefly
Without a blood meal, a tick kept indoors survives only a few weeks, typically 2–4 weeks. If it feeds, its lifespan can extend to several months.
If you bring a tick home, how long does it live? - in detail
Ticks taken indoors can survive for varying periods depending on species, life stage, feeding status, temperature, and humidity.
Unfed adult ticks of the common species (Ixodes scapularis, Dermacentor variabilis, Amblyomma americanum) typically endure 6 – 12 months at room temperature (20 °C–25 °C) with relative humidity above 75 %. In cooler, drier conditions their lifespan shortens to 2 – 4 months.
Engorged females, having completed a blood meal, die within 1 – 3 weeks after detaching because digestion and egg‑laying exhaust their reserves. Nymphs and larvae that have fed once may persist for 1 – 2 months before molting or dying.
Environmental extremes accelerate mortality:
- Temperatures below 5 °C cause rapid chill injury; most ticks perish within days.
- Temperatures above 35 °C, especially with low humidity, lead to desiccation and death in under a week.
Humidity is a critical factor. At relative humidity below 50 %, dehydration kills ticks within 3 – 7 days regardless of temperature. Maintaining humidity above 80 % extends survival but is uncommon in typical indoor settings.
In practice, a tick introduced to a household will usually survive from a few days to several months. The longest documented indoor survival involves unfed adult Ixodes species kept in a humid, temperate environment for up to a year.
Key points for homeowners:
- Unfed adults can last months; engorged females survive weeks.
- Low humidity and temperature extremes drastically reduce longevity.
- Regular cleaning, vacuuming, and reducing indoor humidity lower the chance of prolonged tick survival.
Understanding these parameters helps assess the risk of disease transmission and informs appropriate removal or disposal actions.