Tick identification The Tick App Developed by: University of Wisconsin - Madison, Midwest Center of Excellence in Vector-borne Diseases University of Columbia, Northeast Center of Excellence in Vector-borne Diseases

What do you need? A good pair of eyes, magnifying glasses help Or, a camera that can take macro pictures Or, your high resolution cellphone camera Nerves of steel (Light and tweezers are helpful too)

Body parts of female hard ticks Legs (8 in nymphs and adults; only 6 in larvae) Mouthparts/head (capitulum) Shield (scutum) Marginal groove Image: https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/blacklegged-tick.html

Ticks can be Big & Small Their size is dependent on: Life stage Species & Sex How much blood they have ingested

Ticks are Big & Small: Lifestage Adult females are largest and larva are smallest. Larva Adult Female Adult Male Nymph Image: CDC

Ticks are Big & Small: Engorgement Engorged nymphs can become as large as an unengorged female adult Engorged adults can be as big as a pea or a grape!

Ticks are Big & Small: Species

The shield (Scutum) The scutum of the male covers the whole body The scutum of female and nymphs covers just the front part of the body The patterns on the scutum help identify tick species The scutum can be hard to see on engorged ticks

The shield (Scutum) Female adults Black to brown A lone dot Mottled pattern https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/tickID.html

The shield (Scutum) Pattern Black to brown Mottled Lone dot Common name Black-legged tick American dog tick Lone star tick Synonym Deer tick Wood tick Scientific name Ixodes scapularis Dermacentor variablis Amblyomma americanum

Festoons Cookie cutter pattern On the edge of the tick https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/tickID.html

Festoons: cookie cutter patterns on the edge of the tick Festoons None Visible Common name Black-legged tick American dog tick Lone star tick https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/tickID.html

Legs: 8 on adults and nymphs Black to brownish Brownish Common name Black-legged tick American dog tick Lone star tick https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/tickbornediseases/tickID.html

What is not a tick? Weevils Spiders Mites Bed bugs Fleas https://www.pestwiki.com/weevil-types-get-rid/ Zak, Farmington, NY www.onlinepestcontrol.com Bed bugs Fleas www.solutionsstores.com www.flickr.com/people/dennischnapp/

Pick the Tick

Pick the Tick Yes, that was a 50/50 guess. You will have to look much closer to be sure.