Ticks, of which there are more than 500 species worldwide, are parasitic arthropods closely related to mites. They are not insects. Most ticks feed on the blood of warm-blooded mammals, but some species also feed on birds, reptiles, and even amphibians. Fish are apparently the only vertebrates not plagued by these tiny bloodsuckers. Many species of ticks can transmit diseases from an infected host to other, uninfected hosts. Some of the more frequently transmitted organisms include parasitic worms, viruses, bacteria, spirochetes, and rickettsia’s. The most common of these to Pennsylvania are spirochetes, which cause Lyme disease, and rickettsia’s, which cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Currently, more than 25 species of ticks have been identified in Pennsylvania. Of these, 4 species account for nearly all tick problems in Pennsylvania.

(1) The American dog tick

(2) The black- legged tick

(3) The groundhog tick

(4) The lone star tick

Blacklegged ticks are found throughout the eastern United States and in parts of the northern Midwest in wooded, brushy locations. It has been expanding its range in recent years and can now be found in most of the counties in Pennsylvania. Areas of the state that are heavily infested are. The southeastern portion of Pennsylvania (in those counties southeast of a line through Wayne to Adams Counties) The northcentral counties of Elk, Clearfield, and Cameron; and Presque Isle in Erie County

Larvae feed on birds and small animals such as squirrel’s, mice and grouse. Nymphs also feed on small mammals and birds. Adults prefer deer. Any stage of the blacklegged tick can feed on humans.

This tick is well known as the vector of Lyme disease and has also been known to carry human babesiosis, a generally mild febrile disease that can be severe for people with compromised immune systems. The black- legged tick typically requires in excess of 24 hours of attachment before it can transmit the causative agent for Lyme disease.