Journal archives for May 2018

May 22, 2018

Start of the off-host season: Adult female ticks on the ground!

Anytime from March through May, adult female winter ticks take their final blood-meal after mating, and drop from the host to the ground. This time of year you might stumble across these grey-brown colored ticks, who are ready to lay their eggs in the duff layer - they are generally so full of blood (engorged) that they can no longer crawl!

Above: a preserved adult female winter tick, approximately the same length as a 5cent piece. (Photo: Emily Chenery 2018)

If you find an adult female tick, or her eggs, don't forget to upload a photo to the Yukon Winter Tick Monitoring project page!

Posted on May 22, 2018 09:04 PM by emilychenery emilychenery | 0 comments | Leave a comment