How Long Do Ticks Live & Other Tick Facts

Ticks are among the most dangerous pests that can enter your home. They can carry a wide range of harmful diseases, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. One thing that makes ticks such a concern is their ability to latch onto you or your pets without being noticed. In just 24 hours, a tick can bite, feed on your blood, and transmit those harmful pathogens. So how do they go undetected for so long, and how long do ticks live?

The answer depends on the species, environment, and their access to a host. Understanding their lifespan and behavior helps you protect your home and family from these blood-sucking pests.

At least eight different tick species call the Garden State their home. The more you learn to identify them, the better you can discover one attached to you or your pet. These are the ticks that you and your family need to know.

Just as its name implies, this species’ hosts of choice are dogs. However, they won’t pass by any other warm body that tempts their tastebuds. Dog ticks are just as abundant in cities as in the New Jersey countryside.

Identification

These parasites have flat, oval bodies and are usually a dark reddish-brown with cream and tan markings. Male dog ticks have speckled bodies, while the blood-thirsty females have a cream-colored shield pattern on top.

Health Risks

This species can carry Lyme disease to animals and humans and cause lethal respiratory failure if they aren’t removed. If a tick has bitten you or your pet, it’s always wise to get tested for this life-threatening disease.

How Long Do American Dog Ticks Live?

The life cycle of an American Dog Tick is 2-3 years.

Smaller species, such as the Groundhog tick, often attach to smaller mammals like groundhogs and squirrels. Still, they can be a threat to you and your pets. They are a little harder to see than their leaching cousins and often stay months in hiding.

Identification

Both genders are reddish-brown, but the female colors are lighter. Females also have a light tan shield marking close to their heads.

Health Risks

Groundhog ticks usually aren’t carriers of Lyme disease but can transmit the Powassan virus. It’s a rare virus that can cause life-threatening encephalitis or brain infection. Being safe is much better than being sorry in the long run.

How Long Do These Ticks Live?

Groundhog ticks live for about 2 years. Once the female feeds, she will not survive long after she lays her eggs.

Here’s an invasive species first noticed in the United States in 2017. While its first invasion was sheep farms, it spread throughout the country, including the Garden State. They may prefer farm animals but can still attach to humans.

Identification

Male and female longhorn ticks are reddish-brown, and the male bodies have a yellow edge. You’ll also notice that female markings are darker brown than males.

Health Risks

Farmers and ranchers are wary of the risks Asian Longhorn ticks pose to their livestock. Animals bitten by this species can get infected, sick, weak, and even die. They can carry diseases to people, too, and should not be ignored.

How Long Do Asian Longhorn Ticks Live?

Asian Longhorns live for only 1-2 years and a big #funfact is that the females can reproduce without mating. This means that even though they don’t live as long as some other species, their growth rate is crazy fast.

As mentioned, many people falsely assume that ticks aren’t a present threat during the cold winter months. Winter ticks are a species that seemingly thrive during the winter because they attach to warm, furry hosts, like moose. But they may steal blood from you, your family, and your pets if they can’t find a cow, horse, or moose.

Identification

You’re not likely to find moose wandering the Jersey shore, but just like you, moose ticks are happy residents. The dark brown males have a crosshatch pattern over their backs, while the females are light reddish brown. The lady winter ticks also have a creamy white shield pattern behind their head.

Health Risks

It’s unusual for a moose tick to bite humans, but it can happen. They typically don’t harbor diseases but can cause skin irritation and anemia. Most risks are associated with wild and domestic animals.

Interesting Fact: You might be wondering “How long do ticks live in cold weather?” Well when it comes to winter ticks, they live almost their entire lives during the winter and will usually live for about a year.

This notorious tick species represents serious health risks in New Jersey and most of the United States. Lone star ticks are aggressive biters and aren’t picky about what blood to steal. They greedily bite and feed from their unwilling hosts during each life stage.

Identification

Lone stars are indigenous to North America but aren’t named after Texas. Their name comes from the white star pattern on the female’s back. Also, egg-filled females often appear more prominent than other females and males.

Health Risks

The lone star tick is probably one of the most dreaded species because it’s a primary carrier of diseases. If you’re bitten by one, you can have an allergic reaction and break out into a rash around the bite. The rash usually has the tale-tale shape of a bull’s eye.

If this vicious bloodsucker has bitten you, consider getting medical attention. You can be infected with the alpha-gal syndrome that causes an allergy to red meat. Those who develop alpha-gal are at risk for dangerous allergic reactions like anaphylactic shock.

Another serious threat carried by lone stars is Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which can cause lethal organ and vascular inflammation. Lone stars also carry Heartland disease with flu-like symptoms and even death in severe cases. If there’s any good news about them, this species usually doesn’t carry Lyme Disease.

How Long Do Lone Star Ticks Live?

Not only are lone star ticks terrifying, but they live longer at 2-3 years too.

If you have a pet pupper, chances are you’ve encountered this pesky parasite. Brown dog ticks prefer to attach to canines and can live all seasons indoors. They’re a health hazard to your pets and potentially to you and your family.

Identification

These familiar ticks have an elongated oval body, and both genders are dark brown. Since the females feed on blood more than the males, they are often slightly bigger. You’ll also see the lighter tan-colored shield markings behind their head.

Health Risks

It’s always wise to check your dogs’ and cats’ fur after they’ve been outside, especially in warmer months. Brown dog ticks carry several diseases that could jeopardize your pets’ life like Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Although these ticks don’t usually bite people, you’re still at risk.

Brown dog ticks can live for a few months all the way up to 18 months. They can survive for 3-5 months without feeding.

Of all the pesky bloodsuckers found in the Garden State, this species often poses the greatest threat. Eastern blackleg ticks are voracious eaters and linger in low vegetation to attach themselves to any warm body. You might know them as deer ticks named for their penchant for biting deer.

Identification

Adult males are usually dark brown or black with a gray ring across their abdomen. Females have solid black legs and a reddish-orange shield marking on their backs.

Health Risks

Eastern blackleg ticks feed on blood during each of their life stages. They are especially dangerous as nymphs because they are no bigger than the head of a pin which means they are almost invisible to the naked eye. They are one of the most prolific carriers of the potentially deadly Lyme disease. How long do these scary ticks live? They survive as adults for 2-3 years.

There’s never a time to let down your guard against tick bites. You don’t know when one of these bitsy vampires is going to latch on and learning that ticks live longer than many insects doesn’t make anyone feel any better. 

We do have a few suggestions to keep you and your pets safe from their potentially hazardous bites.

1. Use a Tick Repellant

The same tick repellant you use against ticks during the warm months still works for cold weather. Choose a spray or lotion with at least 20 percent DEET for your skin and clothes. If you prefer a more natural route, try using a geranium essential oil, but not on your pets.

2. Keep Your Pets Safe

Talk to your veterinarian about tick prevention that’s best for your pet all year. Most recommend a monthly medication that repels ticks and fleas. Check your pets thoroughly for ticks each time they go outside.

3. Treat Your Outdoor Equipment

Ticks can latch onto chairs, camping gear, or any equipment you use outdoors to wait for a host. Permethrin products are effective for treating any of these, but never use them on your skin. These products can last up to 70 washings if you use them to treat your coat and other outdoor winter clothes.

4. Create Tick-Proof Barriers

The two most common ways ticks access your skin are up your sleeves, shirt tails, and pantlegs. Keep these bloodsuckers at bay and tuck your shirt into your pants and your pantlegs into your boots. Tuck your sleeves into your gloves and tighten your coat sleeves.

5. Avoid Common Tick Hideaways

These little parasites survive by hiding in dense brush and woodpiles. Avoid these areas as much as possible. If you must cut brush or carry in wood for your stove, do a careful tick check afterwards. Try to keep your pets from wandering in weeds and other dense brush for their safety.

6. Make Tick Checking a Habit

Check yourself, the kids, and your pets during winter the same way you do in warmer months. Check the scalp and around your body for any crawling or attached ticks. High heat on your dryer will also kill any lingering ticks on your clothes.