What are ticks?
Ticks are arachnids like spiders, mites, and scorpions. All species of tick have four pairs of legs and no antennae. Ticks are classified as either “hard” or “soft”, depending on appearance. Hard ticks have a hard shell-like outer covering on their torsos called a “scutellum”. They’re small, flat, and resemble seeds. Soft ticks do not have a scutellum, and therefore look “soft” compared to hard ticks. They’re pear or oval-shaped, round, and resemble raisins.What are the common ticks in the Midwest?

Why do they bite?
Ticks are ectoparasites, which means live on the skin of the host they feed on. They require constant blood meals to survive and grow. Ticks can survive for extended periods of time without a blood meal, but they cannot grow and eventually starve.Why do they attach to people?
In order to consume enough food to sustain themselves, ticks have to feed for extended periods of time. Depending on their species and life cycle, some ticks may feed for up to 7-10 days. To keep feeding for that long without being interrupted or shaken off, they need to attach to their host. Ticks (infamously) accomplish by using a harpoon-like mouthpart called a hypostome. The hypostome helps the tick remain feeding without coming unattached, no matter how much their host moves.How do they hunt?

When are they active?
Unlike many pests, ticks aren’t killed by frost. In fact, adult stage deer ticks generally only become active after the season’s first frost. Other ticks enter the hibernation-like diapause state during winter, but they’ll wake up as soon as temperatures rise about freezing. Ticks begin questing and reproducing as soon as they can get around on non-frozen or snow-covered ground. Their active season may continue from early spring all the way until late fall. Ticks tend to be most active during warm, dry spring and summer days, when they can easily access questing perches.Are they dangerous?
