Ticks

Blacklegged Deer Ticks  

Blacklegged deer ticks are sometimes referred to as deer ticks. They have black legs and black markings near the upper part of their bodies, near their heads. The rest of their bodies can vary in shades of brown and, when engorged, can appear greyish-blue in the abdomen area. This is the tick that is most responsible for transmitting Lyme disease. The blacklegged deer tick can also transmit anaplasmosis and Powassan virus.Do Ticks Bite?

Ticks bite both humans and animals to feed on their blood. When ticks crawl on you or your pet, they look for a warm spot to embed themselves. The groin, hairline, and armpits are popular spots. Once they find a warm spot, they bite into your skin and secrete saliva, which has a numbing effect. Therefore, you don’t usually notice when you get a tick bite. They can feed for several hours to several days before being noticed.Are Ticks Dangerous?

In theory, ticks wandering around your grass are not dangerous. The problem lies with their bites, and their potential for transmitting disease. Not all ticks carry diseases. Even those that are carrying disease won’t always infect you when they bite. However, at a glance, it’s hard to differentiate between tick types. By sight, there is no way to tell if a tick is carrying a disease. For these reasons, it’s best to take precautions to minimize contact with ticks and try to prevent all bites.