Dermacentor occidentalis
Color: Reddish Brown, Speckles cream and white
Size: 5 – 7 mm
Shape: Oval and flat
Nutrition: Bloodsucking
Habitat: Pacific coast of North America
They choose forests, grasslands and thickets as their habitat.
They climb plants and attach themselves to passing hosts.
It is a three-hosted tick. They find a different host at each stage.
They lay their eggs in moist and shady sheltered areas.
Active from late spring to early summer.
The diseases they transmit;
Tularemia (Francisella tularensis).
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (Rickettsia rickettsii).
Anaplasmosis and other rickettsial diseases.
There may be redness, swelling and itching at the site of the bite.
Some individuals may have an allergic reaction.
Pets should be checked for ticks.
Ticks attached to the skin are seen.
After the bite; symptoms such as fever, rash, flu may indicate a tick bite.