What does the encephalitic tick feed on? - briefly
The encephalitic tick (Ixodes ricinus) feeds mainly on the blood of small mammals—particularly rodents—and also on birds and larger mammals, including humans. It becomes infected with the virus while taking these blood meals from already‑infected hosts.
What does the encephalitic tick feed on? - in detail
The encephalitis‑transmitting tick obtains nutrients exclusively from the blood of vertebrate hosts. Feeding occurs at each developmental stage—larva, nymph, and adult—and the choice of host varies with size and ecological availability.
Larvae emerge from eggs unfed and seek small mammals or ground‑dwelling birds. Typical hosts include field mice (Apodemus spp.), voles, and passerine species such as the European robin. A single larval blood meal lasts several days and provides enough protein and lipids for molting into the nymphal stage.
Nymphs require a second blood meal. Preferred hosts expand to medium‑sized mammals and larger birds. Common choices are bank voles, shrews, and juvenile rodents, as well as songbirds like the blackbird. Nymphal feeding periods are longer than those of larvae, often extending up to a week, allowing accumulation of sufficient nutrients for the subsequent molt.
Adults, predominantly females, target larger mammals to support egg production. Primary hosts include deer (e.g., red deer, roe deer), domestic livestock, and occasionally humans. Adult feeding can last up to ten days, during which the female engorges on a substantial blood volume before detaching to lay thousands of eggs in the environment.
Host selection is influenced by habitat, seasonal activity, and questing behavior. In temperate regions, larvae are most active in spring, nymphs in early summer, and adults peak in late summer to early autumn. The tick’s saliva contains anticoagulants and immunomodulatory compounds that facilitate prolonged attachment and efficient blood extraction.
Overall, the tick’s diet consists solely of vertebrate blood, with each life stage adapted to specific host size categories, ensuring successful development, reproduction, and maintenance of the encephalitis pathogen cycle.