Types of Ticks in New Jersey

Warmer weather is just around the corner in the Garden State and getting back out in the great outdoors is just what the doctor ordered. However, many pests arise from their slumber and will soon terrorize your neighborhood. One such pest is the tick.

Many people think that ticks die during the winter season, but they can thrive during the cold months if they have a host, or they go dormant awaiting spring. They find leaf litter and other debris, and they snuggle under it until the weather changes.

Source: The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Common Ticks Found in the Garden State

New Jersey has its fair share of these pests, and one bite from a tick infected with Lyme disease can leave you weak and sick. It’s essential to know the types of ticks you can encounter here, the dangers they present, and what you should do if you’ve been bitten.

1. Black Legged Deer Tick

You might encounter the black-legged deer tick, or Ixodes scapularis, if you live in the rural or suburban areas of the state. These pesky critters are known for the high rate of Lyme disease that they carry, specifically in the coastal northeastern and mid-Atlantic states.

• Lifecycle

The lifecycle of this tick takes about 24 months to complete. The female must feed on a host to mate, and then she will find an excellent, isolated location to digest her meal and produce her offspring. It’s fascinating that such tiny arachnids can create thousands of eggs from one mating session.

The most active periods for the deer tick are in the fall and spring months. The female typically mates during the spring, and the eggs will hatch by summer. The larvae hang close to the ground in the pile of leaf litter. They look for smaller animals, like birds, to use as a host.

During the winter season, the nymph will molt into an adult tick, and they will be ready to terrorize their neighborhood by the fall. If the deer tick nymph becomes infected from its feeding host during the larva phase, the disease can be transmitted to anyone else that it feeds upon. If they were not infected during this point, it’s still possible they can contract a virus at subsequent feedings from a toxic host.

Once the tick makes it to adulthood, they choose layers of shrubs to hang out and look for much larger hosts. One thing that makes this tick different from the others is that they can resume mating activities when temperatures are above the freezing mark during the winter. So, just because it’s colder outside doesn’t mean the threat of catching Lyme disease is gone.

• Identifying Characteristics

The black-legged deer tick is easily spotted by its orange-brown body with dark legs. It’s about one-eighth of an inch in length, and it’s got a distinct flat, broad oval shape. It has eight legs, but there are no antennae.

Source: University of Rhode Island

• Diseases They Carry

Arachnologists have found that these ticks carry Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, encephalitis, and many other diseases. You want to act quickly if you’ve been bitten, as transmission doesn’t happen instantly. The sooner you get this tick off your body, the better off you’ll be.

2. The Brown Dog Tick

The brown dog tick, or Rhipicephalus sanguineus, goes by many names. You might hear it referred to as a kennel tick due to their preference for dogs as their host. They are abundantly found in New Jersey and throughout most of the country.

While they can bite you, human interactions with this arachnid are rare. They prefer dogs as their primary host. It’s common for these ticks to establish themselves indoors, especially since their host can live inside.

• Lifecycle

The typical lifecycle of these ticks is around 12 months if the conditions are ideal. When examining a dog, you’ll find this tick latched behind the ears or between the toes. If there’s long hair on the dog’s back, this is where you will find both the nymphs and larva spending time.

The male and female mate right on the dog, and then the female lays her eggs in the crevasses of the animal. Finding these ticks climbing upwards on your walls and towards windows is also commonplace. They may even rest on your curtains. However, the eggs they left on Fido will hatch in around a month, and the temperature can make this period longer or shorter.

They go through larva, nymph, and adulthood as a three-host tick. Before they can make it from one phase to the other, they must get a meal from their host. Then, they will fall to the floor and find a nice crack in the floor to wait till the next phase.

• Identifying Characteristics

These ticks are on the larger side with growth that reaches one-quarter of an inch in length. They’re dark reddish-brown, and there are no significant markings or spots to help identify them. They have eight legs. Their legs are black, while their oval-shaped body is some hue of brown.

Source: Oklahoma State University

• Diseases They Carry

When it comes to your pets, they can transmit canine ehrlichiosis and babesiosis to them, but they can infect you with Rocky Mountain spotted fever or Lyme disease.

3. The American Dog Tick aka Wood Tick

The wood tick, or Dermacentor Variabilis, is appropriately named the American dog tick. It can be found anywhere on the eastern side of this country. Since the Garden State is full of rural and suburbia neighborhoods, you will undoubtedly see these pests among the fields and the wooded edges.

It’s imperative to keep your grass and any other vegetation properly trimmed, as these overgrown areas attract them. The Larval and nymphal of the wood tick are not picky when choosing a host. They will feed on rats, squirrels, dogs, cats, mice, raccoons, and even meadow voles.

It’s not uncommon to find them among the cattle and horses too. The issue with these ticks is that they carry the dreadful Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. This bacterial illness can make you very sick, and it occurs when you’re bit by an infected tick.

• Lifecycle

How long does the American dog tick live? Studies show that their life cycle takes around 24 months to complete. However, this is one of the hardier ticks that doesn’t require food to thrive. They can go for extended periods with no nourishment. In New Jersey, we see these ticks first emerge around March, and they stay around late into the summer.

When it comes to Larvae and nymphs, you will see the greatest concentration of these during the spring and summer months. However, if the temperatures are above average, they can also hand around until fall.

• Identifying Characteristics

These ticks are brown with whitish to gray markings, and they have six legs like a nymph. However, when they molt to adulthood, they develop two more legs. Their bodies are brown, their legs black, and they have a lighter band of brown near their eyes. They’re very easy to identify, and they’re one of the most prevalent ticks in the area.

Source: Oklahoma State University

• Diseases They Carry

The American dog tick carries tularemia, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. You may also have a rash or develop a fever after the initial bite, and there’s even the possibility of paralysis in the area that was penetrated.

4. Lone Star Tick

The Lone Star tick prefers the humid climate along the coast. However, the central part of the state has seen an increased number of these species. Scientists have found these pests as far south as Texas or Florida, and due to their aggressive nature, you should consider them a danger to you, your pets, and any livestock you have on your property.

The highest concentrations in this state are observed between Monmouth to Cape May Counties, but that doesn’t mean they’re not found in other areas.

• Lifecycle

There are many similarities between the black-legged tick and the Lone Star, such as their life cycle is about 24 months. However, the big difference is that the Lone Star tick is so aggressive they tend to ambush their host. They will lurk in bushes or on plants and wait until they see their prey.

This tick is hard to kill, as they’re resistant to the hot and dry conditions and the cold. They can live above ground by hiding in vegetation, and they cluster together with 100s of them to keep warm. The larvae are called seed ticks, which you might find numerous in abundance on your pet or in a pile on the ground.

While the Lone Star tick prefers smaller animals, its favorite host is the white-tailed deer. You will find these pests in abundance from April till June of the year, but unseasonably warm weather can disrupt their patterns.

• Identifying Characteristics

The Lone Star tick is easy to identify as they have a white spot on their back. Their bodies are oval in shape and has a reddish-brown color. When the tick is engorged with blood, their bodies become slate gray. The female has some slight variations from the male, but she’s the one with the identifiable spot on her back.

Source: Oklahoma State University

• Diseases They Carry

There’s a high rate of Lyme disease transmission with these ticks, and since they’re so aggressive, you must protect yourself. Of all the ticks in the area, the Lone star tick is considered the more significant public health nuisance. Due to their number and aggressive nature, they’re spreading Lyme disease at an alarming rate.

Protecting Yourself Against Ticks

You can do many things to protect yourself, your family, and your pets from invading pests like the tick. Here are the best ways to keep ticks at bay.

• Keep Garbage Covered

Keeping the lids on your outdoor garbage cans will discourage animals like skunks and raccoons from getting into your rubbish. These animals are known to harbor many ticks, and they transfer Lyme disease with ease.

• Don’t Feed the Birds

Setting feeders around your yard seems like the right thing for the birds. However, many people don’t realize that you’re attracting more than birds to your yard. These feathery friends leave quite a mess of seeds on the ground, making a smorgasbord for mice, rats, and squirrels. The deer mouse is the one you want to be the most concerned about since they tend to be a significant host for Lyme disease. These mice have ticks that feed on them, and then they jump on you or your family.

• Use DEET

If ticks are prevalent in your area, you want to use a 20 percent product with DEET. Additionally, tucking your pant legs into your socks can prevent these pests from crawling up your legs.

• Check Yourselves After Being Outside

If you’ve been outside for a while or have been incredibly close to a wooded area, it’s beneficial for you to check one another. Look behind the ears, on the back, stomach area, underarms, and anywhere warm where a tick might hide. Since it takes about 4 hours before a tick starts its feeding process, it’s better to get it off sooner before it can transmit anything.

• Install a Chimney Screen

If you have a chimney in your home, you want to put a screen over it to keep things like birds, squirrels, and raccoons away. These animals often carry a host of ticks and can quickly get into your home through this opening.

Knowing When to Get Help

If you see a tick attached to you or someone in your family, the best way to remove it is to use a pair of tweezers. Don’t try matches or any other radical treatment that might burn someone. Get as close to the skin as possible, and grasp the entire tick with the tweezers.

You want to pull backward in a firm motion to release the mouth from your skin. Make sure you don’t touch it no matter what you do, but you might need to save it from identification should you need it later. Usually, there’s little to no reaction to your skin, but if you see any a bullseye rash appear, call your doctor immediately.

If you have an abundance of ticks in your yard, it’s possible to spray the area to keep them at bay. While it’s more challenging in rural or wooded areas, spraying around the perimeter of your home and where your animals and children play is advisable. While you can’t spray all the ticks away, it calls for professional intervention when there’s a significant issue that’s threatening the health and safety of the ones you love.

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