HOW TO IDENTIFY TICKS
Appearance
Ticks are small creatures found all over the world, especially in places with warm and humid climate.
They can be brown or reddish black in color; their color changes according to their sex and their stage of life.
They can be seen in varying sizes from 0.5 mm to 2.5 mm from larva to adult, though a female adult tick can grow to the size of 11mm.
Behavior
Ticks are parasites who feed on mammals and birds. In very rare cases, they feed on reptiles and amphibians as well. Ticks feed on their hosts for blood which helps them in survival and development in different stages of their life cycle.
In the unfavorable conditions, ticks can go a long time without feeding, but if they fail to find a host in the long run, it can lead to their death. They look for their hosts through their body odor, breath, and body warmth.
Signs
The bites of ticks are often painless which makes it harder to notice their presence, but it can still be seen by examining the dark and humid areas, body parts, and pet’s skin especially ears.
A tick bite can have several reactions including rashes, fever, weakness, shivering, lethargy, and fatigue. If you or your pet notice any of such symptoms out of the blue, then you might have a tick infestation in your house.