Engorged tick – not a common sight in winter – but a possible one
I can imagine what you might be thinking as you read this post: “Why would anyone talk about ticks in winter? Ticks are a summertime problem!”
Keep reading! By the end of this post, you’ll understand why I’m talking ticks in winter.
Here are TEN TICK FACTS you may not know (yet):
- Ticks are found on every continent on Earth — including Antarctica
- Ticks carry the second highest number of dangerous human diseases (Mosquitoes are still #1. Yay.)
- Ticks can be carried by birds, which may “help” different types of ticks migrate from one state to another
- Ticks can survive freezing temperatures
- Ticks can live underwater (Flushing ticks won’t kill them!)
- Ticks can live up to 3 years
- Lone Star tick bites can cause a red meat allergy in people
- Brown dog ticks like to live around the foundations of houses and in urban areas
- Cats can get ticks and Lyme Disease
- Differing species of ticks emerge throughout the year
More about that last fact: the Black-legged tick (or deer tick) which carries the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease, is active in different life stages all year.
Spring/Summer: Larvae hatch from eggs and begin looking for their first blood meal. Also during this time, older nymphs begin feeding and are able to transmit Lyme Disease-causing bacteria.
Autumn/Winter: Adult deer ticks feed on deer, dogs, cats, and people and can transmit the bacteria that causes Lyme Disease.
[View the lifecycle chart created by the Minnesota Department of Health here.]
Contact Us at Little Creek Veterinary Clinic to discuss flea & tick prevention* for your dog or cat. We can recommend products that are safe to use year-round.
There are many products on the market — let us help you sort through them!
(*This offer is open to clients of Little Creek Veterinary Clinic, [Norfolk, VA] only.)
Tick facts courtesy of Dr. Elyse Persico, and Dr. Holly Gaff & the Tick Team at Old Dominion University
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