Did you know that a female tick can lay up to several thousand eggs at a time? Yikes! But this enormous capacity alone is not what makes tick control so challenging. The tick life cycle adds special challenges. Learn more about the tick life cycle, how they reproduce, how long they live, and more to help protect yourself and your family from these pests. Mosquito Joe®️ is here to help not just with our services but with our tips for how to combat ticks, too.
The Four Life Stages of Ticks
The tick life cycle has four distinct stages: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. After ticks hatch, blood is crucial for helping them develop through each additional life stage. This is when they become a concern for you, their potential host.
Stage 1: Tick Eggs
Adult female ticks are responsible for kicking off the life cycle after feeding through some of the winter and spring months. They will drop off their host to lay their eggs in a protected area, such as tall grass. You’re most likely to find collections of tick eggs where hosts will be readily available, such as where deer lay. Female ticks can produce thousands of eggs at a time, especially under ideal weather conditions. Warm, humid conditions speed up blood meal digestion, egg laying, and hatching. Tick eggs hatch in a few weeks to several months.
Stage 2: Tick Larvae
Tick eggs hatch into larvae, usually in the summer. Tick larvae have six legs and are hungry for their first blood meal, so they begin searching for a host right away. They climb to the tops of tall grass, “questing” for a host where pet and human activity are generally high. Once they find a host, the larval ticks climb the animal, looking for a spot to attach and feed. They like spots where the skin is thinner, fur or hair is less dense, and where they are unlikely to be disturbed. Once the seed tick has found a host and is attached, it feeds on the host’s blood for about three to five days before dropping off for molting into the next stage in the tick’s life cycle.
Stage 3: Tick Nymphs
Tick larvae transition into nymphs and continue looking for their next blood meal. This is usually when they will seek out a larger host like a deer or human. Tick larvae have eight legs that they use to quest for their host. They will climb to the tops of grasses and seek out warm blood to feed on for several days or longer before dropping back to the ground.
Stage 4: Adult Ticks
After the satiated nymph drops off its host, it digests its blood meal and begins molting into an adult. The nymph sheds its exoskeleton to emerge as a sexually mature adult. Adult ticks then go for a third quest, seeking a larger host and blood meal. Adult female ticks are on extra alert for blood required to reproduce and lay more eggs. Both male and female ticks will get on their shared host before the male tick mates with a nearby female. Males usually die after mating with one or two female ticks. The females will go on to lay thousands of eggs before dying soon after.
How Do Ticks Reproduce and Lay Eggs?
Most ticks mate on their host animal. After a female tick feeds and is engorged with blood, she releases pheromones to attract a mate. Male ticks climb aboard the animal host to find and mate with the receptive female. Often, multiple males respond and fight for the right to mate with the female. The female tick can mate with many males, with the sperm from each competing within her reproductive tract.
Once mating is complete, the female will feed on the host for one to two weeks before dropping off to lay eggs. A single female Ixodes tick (such as the black-legged tick, which transmits Lyme disease) can lay 1,500 to 2,000 eggs. A female Dermacentor tick (including the American dog tick) may lay upwards of 4,000 to 6,500 eggs.
Both male and female adult ticks usually die shortly after mating and reproducing, completing their tick lifespan.
Tick Lifespan: How Long Do Ticks Live?
The lifespan of a single tick depends on how long it takes to complete each of the four stages of the tick life cycle. However, most ticks live for around two to three years. A majority of their lives are spent in between blood meals, searching for their next host. Ticks have a slow metabolism and physiological adaptations that enable them to conserve energy between blood meals. They spend the majority of their lives in shaded woods and grasslands, seeking out hosts only to feed.
If a tick can’t find a new host, it can die of starvation. How long a tick can go without blood depends on its species and life cycle. For example, some ticks may be able to go around 18 months without a blood meal.
How Each Stage of the Tick Life Cycle Spreads Disease
Ticks are not born dangerous but rather pick up bacteria and illnesses as they feed on their hosts.
- Egg: Ticks are not borne with diseases, so tick eggs don’t carry illnesses. There are some rare instances when illnesses can transfer from adult to egg, referred to as transovarial transmission.
- Larvae: When first hatched, larvae cannot have a disease. However, they can pick them up when they feed on their first host.
- Nymph: Nymphs are perhaps the most equipped to spread diseases because they are still small as they go from host to host and spread whatever bacteria they pick up from their blood meals. They are much more likely than adult ticks to go unnoticed.
- Adult: Adult ticks have fed on multiple hosts and are, therefore, capable of spreading diseases to every new host they come into contact with. Adult ticks should be removed completely as soon as possible.
How to Protect Yourself from Ticks at Every Stage of the Tick Life Cycle
If you spend time outdoors or have pets that go outdoors, you should be aware of tick risks at all times. As eggs, ticks are usually clusters of translucent, brown, or red clumps, often the size of a quarter. Eggs will usually be on the ground or within the grass, where there are trails and the presence of wild animals. Eggs will then hatch into six-legged larvae that develop into eight-legged nymphs and adults. At this stage, ticks are usually reddish brown with large, flat, oval-shaped bodies.
When outside, especially in warmer months, keep your skin covered when possible. Avoid tree lines and tall grasses where ticks are likely to lurk. Check yourself and your pets regularly and consider professional tick control treatments for your property.
When ticks attach to you or a pet, they may feel like a large bump. Their size varies depending on how long they’ve been feeding and the life cycle stage. Ticks should be removed fully as soon as possible. Tick bites should also be monitored regularly, and you should be aware of any symptoms signaling a tick-borne illness.
Why Understanding the Tick Life Cycle Matters
Ticks are more than just a nuisance. They can cause anemia in people and pets and transmit viruses, bacteria, and parasites. Tick-borne diseases include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tick-borne relapsing fever, and tularemia. These illnesses can cause a range of negative symptoms and can even be life-threatening if left untreated.
By understanding the tick life cycle and how they navigate between meals, you can better protect yourself and your family from their bites. For help controlling these pests, contact Mosquito Joe today. We offer free estimates, and our work is backed by the Neighborly Done Right Promise® and our Mosquito Joe Satisfaction Guarantee to ensure you’re happy. Get the upper hand on ticks today, and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns—we’re here to help.
This article is intended for general informational purposes only and may not be applicable to every situation. You are responsible for determining the proper course of action for your home and property. Mosquito Joe is not responsible for any damages that occur as a result of this blog content or your actions. For the most accurate guidance, contact your local Mosquito Joe location for a comprehensive, on-site assessment.
