Deer Ticks Vs. Wood Tick

Need to get rid of ticks? Read on to learn the answers to all of your important questions. Need help? Call our professionals today to get started.

Deer Tick Vs. Wood Tick

You know to look out for ticks. You know they are parasitic insects that feed on small animals like deer and dogs and can also attach themselves to you and your family. You know to wear the right protective gear on hikes and to wear proper insect repellant to ward off their bites. There are many different tick species in the United States, but do you know how to identify which ticks might be carrying the most dangerous diseases? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the acquisition of tick-borne illnesses has more than doubled in the last 20 years. 

Pest Control Experts has all the information you need to identify and tell the differences between deer ticks and wood ticks below. 

Deer Ticks

Deer ticks, sometimes called blacklegged ticks, are hard ticks with a red-orange body, black legs and a black scutum, a kind of “shield” that covers their head and the adjoining third of the rest of their body. Deer ticks are considered small for a tick species and are about 1/2 to 2/3 the size of a normal tick—about the size of a poppy seed, making them very easy to overlook. Deer ticks are present in most of the United States and are active during every season, however, they tend to bite in early spring or winter. 

Deer ticks are probably the most important to watch out for as they carry the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease, Borrelia burdorferi and B. mayonii. 

Wood Ticks

Wood tick is an imprecise term that can be applied to a number of species of tick. It is, however, most commonly used to refer to American dog ticks, which are ticks that prefer to feed on dogs, as their name suggests. American dog ticks have brown bodies and, if you’re looking at a female, an off-white scutum. Male American dog ticks, on the other hand, have whitish to gray markings. 

American dog tick bites can cause itching, fever and sometimes can induce tick paralysis. Rashes around the bite site are often the first symptom of tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. 

Ticks carry serious diseases that need proper medical treatment. If you think you or your dog have recently been bitten by a tick and are exhibiting strange symptoms, seek out the advice and help of a trained medical professional. If you believe you have ticks near your home, call a trained pest control specialist.

Find A Pest Specialist For Tick Control

If you are concerned about tick control near your home, please give us a call or fill out the form on this page. PestControlExperts.com is a team of experts who are highly qualified to provide the best recommendations for you and your home, no matter which part of the United States you live in.