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

Lone star ticks are widely found in the United States. It is commonly found from Texas, north to Missouri, and eastward to the Atlantic Coast. It is found most often in the southern counties of Pennsylvania near urbanized areas. The lone star tick may be active from early spring to late fall.

The larvae feed on a variety of small animals, while the nymphs feed on many small and larger animals. Adults are usually found on larger animals, and all stages are found on deer and will feed on humans.

The lone star tick is known to vector tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever and causes tick paralysis in humans and dogs. Although regarded as a poor vector for Lyme disease, there are anecdotal accounts of the typical bulls-eye rash (erythema migrans) developing at the site of attachment. In Pennsylvania, this tick is known to transmit only Rocky Mountain spotted fever.