What do ticks do? - briefly
Ticks attach to a host, pierce the skin and ingest «blood», often acting as vectors for pathogens such as «Lyme disease». Their life cycle—egg, larva, nymph, adult—requires a blood meal at each stage to progress.
What do ticks do? - in detail
Ticks are obligate hematophagous arachnids belonging to the order Ixodida. Adult females attach to vertebrate hosts, insert a hypostome, and ingest blood for several days, expanding dramatically in size. Males typically feed briefly or not at all, concentrating on mating activities.
The life cycle comprises egg, larva, nymph, and adult stages. Each active stage requires a single blood meal to molt to the next stage. Larvae, often called “seed ticks,” emerge from eggs, quest on vegetation, and attach to small mammals or birds. After engorgement, they drop off, molt into nymphs, repeat the questing‑feeding‑molting sequence, and finally develop into adults capable of reproducing.
During feeding, ticks secrete saliva containing anticoagulants, immunomodulators, and enzymes that facilitate prolonged attachment. These secretions enable efficient blood acquisition and suppress host defenses, allowing the parasite to remain undetected for extended periods.
Ticks serve as vectors for a broad spectrum of pathogens, including bacteria (e.g., Borrelia burgdorferi), viruses (e.g., tick‑borne encephalitis virus), and protozoa (e.g., Babesia spp.). Transmission occurs when pathogens present in the salivary glands are introduced into the host’s bloodstream during the blood meal. The efficiency of pathogen transfer depends on the duration of attachment and the specific tick‑host‑pathogen combination.
Ecologically, ticks influence host population dynamics by imposing parasitic stress, which can affect reproductive success and survival rates. Their presence also contributes to biodiversity by providing a food source for predators such as birds and small mammals.
Control strategies focus on habitat management, chemical acaricides, and personal protection. Habitat modification reduces questing sites by clearing leaf litter and tall grasses. Acaricide applications, either topical on hosts or environmental, target ticks at various life stages. Personal protection includes wearing protective clothing, using repellents containing DEET or permethrin, and performing regular tick checks after exposure to endemic areas.