What Is the Tick Life Cycle?

Though there are now several tick species present in the Hartford, CT, area, among the most common are blacklegged (“deer”) ticks, American dog ticks, Lone Star ticks, Gulf Coast ticks, and Asian longhorn ticks.

It is worth noting that ticks are extremely prominent in this area, so much so that the very first case of tick-borne Lyme Disease was discovered right here in the state of Connecticut in, you guessed it–the town of Lyme for which it was named. It’s important to educate yourself on personal tick protection and to properly remove the pesky parasite if you find one on yourself, your children, or your pets.

Life Stages of a Tick

Most species of ticks go through the same four life stages: egg, six-legged larva, eight-legged nymph, and adult. Each stage of the tick life cycle can last multiple years, depending on the species and environmental conditions. During each phase, the tick needs a food source. It is worth noting that ticks can feed on a wide range of hosts, including mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians. Most ticks prefer different hosts during each stage of their life, and many that require this will die because of difficulties finding a preferred host for their next feeding. However, a few tick species, like the brown dog tick, prefer to feed on the same host throughout all four lifecycle stages.

• Egg: Female ticks lay their eggs in autumn after feeding on host number three of their own lives.
• Larva: New ticks hatch from their eggs in early spring and begin feeding on small animals like mice.
• Nymph: In the summer, tick larvae leave their first host, molting into their eight-legged form, and start seeking out larger hosts, including humans.
• Adult: Ticks in their final life stage are most active from March to mid-May and from mid-August to November. However, they can be active any time the temperature is consistently above 45 degrees.

Tick-Borne Disease

In humans, common tick-borne illnesses that show up most frequently in the Northeastern region include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Lyme Disease is spread by the blacklegged tick, or “deer tick,” and affects more than 475,000 Americans annually. Early symptoms of Lyme Disease can include fever, chills, body aches, headaches, extreme fatigue, joint pain, swollen lymph nodes, and a rash.
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever comes from bacteria transmitted by the dog tick and is often identified by its symptoms, including fever, headache, and rash. If not properly treated, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is one of the deadliest illnesses transmitted by North American ticks.
• Southern-Tick Associated Rash Illness (STARI) is spread by the lone star tick, resulting in what appears as a “bullseye” shaped rash, fever, fatigue, headache, and muscle and joint pain/stiffness.
• Alpha-gal Syndrome (AGS) is a serious, life-altering illness most commonly associated with the lone star tick. This disease causes a spontaneous allergy to red meat in humans. Symptoms often look like hives/itchy rash, nausea and vomiting, heartburn and indigestion, serious diarrhea, shortness of breath, low blood pressure, dizziness, severe stomach cramps, and swelling of the mouth, throat, lips, or eyelids.

Tick Control from Mosquito Squad

Barrier Treatments

Mosquito Squad offers a few options when it comes to effective tick control. First, our traditional protective barrier spray treatment effectively reduces ticks in the mere hours following the initial application. Our traditional barrier treatment spray has been trusted by more than 300,000 families across the country, having been administered by Mosquito Squad technicians more than 2 million times since the company’s inception in 2005.

Our natural treatment alternative effectively thins out tick populations using natural ingredients like essential oils.

Tick Tube Treatments

For additional protection against ticks, Mosquito Squad of Hartford offers a granular treatment as part of our Yard Defender package.  Another option you can add to your barrier service are tick tube treatments. The efficient tick control methods may provide additional assurance that ticks are being eliminated on your property.

Mosquito Squad Tick Control

Contact your local Mosquito Squad in Hartford, CT, and get started with effective tick control. We help ensure these dangerous parasites don’t stand a chance to complete the tick life cycle and impact your time spent outdoors.