Cold temperatures won’t kill off ticks; here is what actually happens.
- Deer ticks / black-legged ticks don’t die in the colder months, they are active until the ground is frozen, air temps are below freezing, or there is snow on the ground. At this point, they will find a safe place to lie dormant.
- Other ticks will begin to go dormant at 45°F vice freezing. As winter approaches, it may appear ticks of died off, but they’re just taking a winter nap under some leaf debris.
- Mild winters don’t help either; ticks still have to find food while active. Potentially, mild winters could have a more adverse effect, making ticks more aggressive, looking for food when hosts are scarce.
- Sometimes you will find ticks inside; they use pets to hitch a ride to a super cozy household. If you see ticks in the house, Fido probably brought them in, or maybe they came from some plants you brought in during the fall to keep them safe from freezing or even hitched on some firewood.
What Is A Tick?
In short, a tick is classified as an arachnid and a cousin to spiders and scorpions. Ticks, however, are not a predator or scavenger but they do fall into the ectoparasite role. This means they search for a host looking for a blood meal that will help them grow from one lifecycle to another. Ticks go through the following lifecycles throughout two years:
Tick eggs hatch in the spring and resulting in thousands of larva.- When I think of larva, I think of a worm-like resemblance, not the case here. Tick larva is just a tiny 6-legged seed tick. After they consume enough blood meals in the summer/fall, they malt and turn into a nymph.
- As a nymph, they now have eight legs and continue to look for blood meals. During this time they have the highest risk of disease infection and transmission.
- After consuming enough blood meals during the spring, summer, and fall, the nymph becomes an adult tick.
- Adult ticks will breed on the host animal and then drop to the ground. A female tick will lay several thousand eggs at once. 🤮
How Do I Get A Tick?
Believe it or not, ticks can’t fly or jump and certainly don’t hang around on a web looking to get the drop on you. I know some of the stories out there can get a little absurd. A tick attaches to host through a process known as “questing.”
- A tick will position itself on the edge of some vegetation. It uses its hind legs to attach to the leaf or blade of grass or other outstretched vegetation etc.
- Its front legs stay in a position to ambush its host as it walks buy bumping into the vegetation it’s on.
- Ticks have crazy accurate sensory organs on their front legs. These are called Haller’s organs and can sense changes in humidity, temperature, and carbon dioxide, changes which the next potential host is emitting.
- Most ticks are passive and just lay waiting while some will decide to run to you if the proper opportunity presents itself. One time I removed a tick from my arm that was freely walking around. I put it on a picnic table to watch it. It kept coming after me – that was the day I realized what I was up against.
Where Do Ticks Like To Bite?
Ticks don’t have a real preference of bite location. There have been mixed results from case studies on this matter. They will look for softer skin and places where there is lots of blood flow. Since every child and adult has between 60 to 100,000 miles of blood vessels, it’s safe to say any place can become a potential buffet. Ticks my look for less aggravating areas so they can feed without being interrupted. You can find ticks on your dog between the pads of their toes, the ears, groin, and eyelids.
How Do Ticks Feed?
Ticks will use this process to feed on their host. Each tick is slightly different, but the general feeding properties remain the same for each.
- Depending on the ticks lifecycle, preparation to feed could take minutes or hours.
- Once a suitable feeding spot is located, the tick will cut through the surface of the host’s skin.
After the cut, a feeding tube is inserted. This tube can also secrete cement like compounds to keep it firmly attached, and the feeding tube may have barbs for added support too.- Ticks also can secrete an anesthetic packed saliva so that the dog or person can’t feel that the tick has attached itself.
- A tick will suck the blood slowly for several days ingesting any pathogens the host might have.
- If the tick contains a pathogen, the organism may be transmitted to the host dog or human via small amounts of saliva.
- After feeding, most ticks will drop off and prepare for the next life stage.
- If the tick picked up a pathogen from its previous host, it could then transmit an acquired disease to the new host at next feeding.
How Do I Remove A Tick?
I use a set of eyebrow tweezers for this important job because I like the way they come together and provide a superior grip on the whole tick. I’ve tried other tick removal tools and keys. Nothing can meet the versatility of a set of tweezers in your first aid kit. I’ve followed these removal steps and have never had a problem.
- I spray some hand sanitizer on the tick and area I will be working on. Remember, nurses worldwide recommend hand sanitizer that uses over 70% alcohol in its formula.
- I pinch the skin around the tick to help it present itself better.
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Try to get a good look at the tick to ensure you have removed the head as well
I then use the tweezers, ensuring I have a good surface connection where the tick meets the skin.
- I pull away from my dog in a slow but continually forceful movement.
- Once removed, I look at the head of the tick, you can tell if you have it or not.
- I’ll use a small piece of duct tape to stick the tick to, wrap it up and throw it out.
What Can I Use On My Dog As A Tick Preventative?
I use NexGard as a tick preventative which requires a veterinarian prescription. I use this because it has a solid flea preventative and kills fleas for four whole weeks. It comes in a treat form that Liberty loves, and she hasn’t shown any adverse side effects in over three years I’ve been giving it to her. there are a few other types of tick preventatives you can use, coming in topical, collar and essential oil form. If you are looking for other forms of tick preventative, check out this 🐕RELATED ARTICLE – BEST TICK PREVENTATIVES 4 DOGS & WHAT YOU’RE UP AGAINST!🐕 This article also covers types of tick-borne diseases and illnesses.
TRAIL TAILS
If this article was helpful, please pass along the info. There are tons of people out there who think ticks jump and die in the winter. Help spread the word via social media so we can continue to help our community of dog loving adventure seekers become more knowledgeable. This will ensure our puppers remain happy, healthy, and adventure-ready at all times! Let us know in the comments what tick preventative you use and why.
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