American Dog Tick

What it does

American dog ticks quest on the tips of grass and low vegetation, front legs outstretched, latching onto a host that brushes by; they cannot jump or fly. Adults are the stage most likely to bite people and dogs. They feed slowly over days, and longer attachment raises the chance of disease transmission.

Where it lives

They favor grassy fields, trail and roadside edges, meadows, and brushy areas with few trees, often where animals travel. Common east of the Rocky Mountains, with populations along the Pacific coast, they are frequent in yards bordering fields and where dogs roam. Larvae and nymphs feed mainly on small rodents.

How it breeds

The cycle spans about one to two years across egg, larva, nymph, and adult stages, with a blood meal at each active stage. After a final feeding, the female drops off and lays thousands of eggs. Ticks acquire pathogens by feeding on infected hosts and can pass them along at subsequent bites, including to people.

What it eats

Every active stage feeds on blood. Larvae and nymphs feed largely on small mammals such as mice and voles, while adults prefer medium to large hosts, especially dogs, and will bite humans. Ticks take no food between meals, remaining dormant until a suitable host passes.

Identification

Adults are flattened and teardrop-shaped, brown with off-white or gray mottled markings on the shield behind the head; females show a large pale shield, males a mottled pattern over the back. Engorged females swell gray and rounded. The ornate mottling distinguishes it from the plainer blacklegged tick.

Signs of an infestation

• A brown, white-mottled tick attached to a dog or person
• Ticks picked up along grassy field and trail edges
• An engorged, gray, swollen tick after days of attachment
• Fever, headache, and rash days after a bite
• Ticks appearing in late spring and summer

Prevention tips

• Use an EPA-registered repellent with DEET or picaridin on skin
• Treat clothing and gear with permethrin per label directions
• Keep dogs on veterinarian-recommended tick preventives
• Check people and pets for ticks after time outdoors
• Mow grass and clear brush along yard and field edges

Professional solutions

For yards with heavy tick pressure, a pest professional can apply EPA-labeled acaricide treatments to lawn and field borders and advise on habitat reduction. Veterinarians supply approved tick control for dogs. For a bite, remove the tick promptly with fine-tipped tweezers and consult a doctor if illness develops.