About Ticks
Appearance
Ticks vary in color by species. Adult ticks small can grow to almost 1 cm if engorged with blood, while nymphal (or immature) ticks are less than .5 cm.
Habitat
Often found in thick vegetation and overgrown gardens. Commonly found under palm fronds and garden mulch.
Diet
All females and males of most species feed on blood of mammals, birds and reptiles.
Reproduction
There are four stages in a tick’s lifecycle – egg, larvae, nymph and adult. Ticks have only six legs during their larval stage and eight legs during their nymphal and adult stages. They consume blood meals during all stages. Pathogens, or organisms that cause diseases in the animals they infect, can be passed through the stages of a tick’s life cycle.