Ticks 【2026 Update】

Ticks undergo a complex four-stage life cycle: .

Ticks cannot jump or fly. Instead, they perform "questing"—climbing to the tips of grasses or shrubs and waiting with outstretched legs to latch onto a passing host. Habitat and Emerging Threats Ticks undergo a complex four-stage life cycle:

Ticks typically thrive in shady, moist environments such as wooded areas, tall grass, and leaf litter. Types of Ticks (with pictures of ticks) - LymeDisease.org Habitat and Emerging Threats Ticks typically thrive in

To transition between stages, a tick must find and feed on a host. These obligate ectoparasites require a blood meal at

are specialized, blood-feeding arachnids more closely related to spiders and mites than to insects. These obligate ectoparasites require a blood meal at every stage of their life cycle to survive and develop. While small, they are among the most significant vectors of disease globally, transmitting a wider variety of pathogens—including bacteria, viruses, and parasites—than any other group of arthropods. Biology and Life Cycle