Those Cute Little Ticks

Here is just a short posting with photos of two main tick culprits that we have around here...both the male and female of both species. The photos do not reflect the size of the ticks or the size in relation to each other. Adults are about the size of a flax seed and nymphs are smaller than a sesame seed. Both stages can cause disease, but usually only if they are attached to you for 24 hours.

The tick that causes Lyme disease is very very rare in Tennessee. It is the Black-legged tick, sometimes called the Deer tick. Most information that I have found says that if you have Lyme disease in Tennessee you probably got it somewhere else. My doctor told me recently that he has never seen a case of Lyme disease in his practice in Tennessee.

If you click on the photos you will get a bigger, and scarier view.

The first two photos are the Lone Star tick. It is named for the lone dot on the back of the female. The male doesn't have the dot and looks entirely different. The male is slightly smaller than the female. The Lone Star tick is the one that can transmit Ehrlichiosis to humans. I can personally attest to this. It can also transmit a disease called STARI, which stands for Southern Tick Associated Rash Illness.



Adult Female Lone Star tick...photo by Don Hazel






Adult Male Lone Star tick...photo by Don Hazel





The next two photos are of the American Dog tick, sometimes called the Wood tick. Once again, the female and the male look entirely different. Just because it is called Dog tick doesn't mean it doesn't like to feed on humans if it gets the chance. This is the one that can transmit the more dangerous Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever. Even though the disease was first identified in the Rocky Mountain area, most cases of the disease are now found in North Carolina, Oklahoma, and Tennessee...go figure.




Adult Female American Dog tick...photo by Don Hazel








Adult Male American Dog Tick...photo from the Internet