Ticks Crawl Up
All ticks crawl up after latching on. If you’re lucky, they might crawl up the outside of your clothing. Tiny nymph-stage deer ticks loaded with pathogens most commonly latch on to your shoes — and they crawl up — UNDER your clothes. Tucking pants into socks is a classic, “unfashionable”, strategy for keeping ticks from crawling up under your clothes. An easy and reliable way to prevent tick bites every day is simply to wear tick repellent clothing. It makes tick bite protection as easy as getting dressed in the morning!
Watch hereHow do Deer Ticks become infected?
In the Northeastern United States, Deer Tick Larvae hatch from eggs in late June. Each female deer tick produces about 1,500 larvae.
In August, they begin to attach and feed on anything they can find. Rodents such as White-footed mice and chipmunks are the prime targets for these tiny bloodsuckers. Rodents carry pathogens that cause Lyme Disease, Babesiosis, and Human Anaplasmosis. Deer ticks become infected as Larvae when they ingest these pathogens from rodents along with their blood meal.
Check it outLife cycle of Babesia microti
Babesia are malaria-like parasites transmitted by blood-feeding ticks. Infection with Babesia microti causes humans to become anemic, experience spiking fever and chills, and exhaustion. In some cases, the infection can be fatal. This 3-minute video demonstrates the life cycle of Babesia microti, starting in the blood of white-footed mice. Follow the parasite as it is ingested by deer ticks, and finally is transmitted to humans through tick saliva.
learn moreTick Factoids – Larvae & Nymphs
Tick Factoids: Larvae & Nymphs from TickEncounter Resource Center is part one of a three-part series full of well-known to lesser known facts about ticks. How many do you think you’ll know?
watch here