Size and Appearance:
.08 to 0.14 inches long.

Females have reddish hind bodies with black dorsal markings.

Males are slightly smaller than females and are solid dark brown.

Commonly Found:
In wooded, brushy or grassy areas that provide food and cover for white-footed mice, deer and other small or large mammals.

Diet:
Blood meal.

Important Facts:
Lives for two years, has four life stages (eggs, larvae, nymphs, and adults) and only eats three blood meals during lifetime.

Exposure to ticks may be greatest in the woods (especially along trails) and the fringe area between the woods and border.

Blacklegged ticks search for a host from the tips of grasses and shrubs, not from trees.

Generally, ticks attach to a person or animal near ground level.

Blacklegged ticks crawl; they do not jump or fly. They grab onto people or animals who brush against vegetation they are sitting on and crawl upward.