Ticks

Question 1

Identification: scutum, mouthparts visible from above
Lifecycle: egg, larva (6 legs), nymph (8 legs), adult
Habitat: deep woods, shrubbery areas, tall grasses/weeds, vegetation along animal trails

Answer 1

Hard ticks

Question 2

can lay up to 4000 eggs
females only reproduce ONCE
persistent feeder

Answer 2

Hard ticks

Question 3

Identification: no scutum, mouthparts located underneath the body (not visible from above)
Lifecycle: egg, larva (six-legged), nymph (eight-legged), adult
Habitat: nests, roosts, dens, caves, lairs

Answer 3

Soft ticks

Question 4

females reproduce many times
can lay hundreds of eggs at once
mate off host
attacked loosely and feed rapidly on host

Answer 4

Soft ticks

Question 5

all life stages are

Answer 5

obligate blood feeders

Question 6

soft ticks feed for

Answer 6

short durations (less than 24 hrs)

Question 7

hard ticks feed for

Answer 7

long durations (up to 10 days)

Question 8

larvae feed on

Answer 8

small animals

Question 9

nymphs molt into adults and

Answer 9

seek out larger animals for a blood meal

Question 10

behavior where ticks crawl to the top of grasses and wait for a potential host to pass

Answer 10

questing

Question 11

(T/F) Ticks transmit a greater variety of pathogenic microorganisms

Answer 11

True

Question 12

(T/F) Both soft and hard ticks are able to pass pathogens from females to embryonic eggs

Answer 12

True

Question 13

inflammation/reddening of the skin

Answer 13

dermatitis

Question 14

scratching bites

Answer 14

secondary infections

Question 15

caused by neurotoxin excreted in the saliva of some ticks
ticks usually attached > 3 days

Answer 15

tick paralysis

Question 16

using a piece of cloth attached to a rod and dragging it around to collect ticks on ground or low vegetation like grasses
performed in the morning hours not the heat of the day

Answer 16

tick drag method

Question 17

using the same cloth, as tick drag, move the cloth in a waving motion over and through taller vegetation

Answer 17

tick flagging method

Question 18

place a cloth or plywood tick trap along transitional grasses with a container of dry ice on it to attract ticks
should not be placed in direct sunlight
conducted in early morning or evening hours

Answer 18

sheet or plywood and dry ice

Question 19

landscape management by cutting back or totally removing habitats

Answer 19

cultural control

Question 20

host exclusion by constructing physical barriers to keep tick-infested hosts out of areas where personnel are

Answer 20

mechanical control

Question 21

general area application for hard ticks is impractical across larger areas of concern
treatment is only temporary

Answer 21

chemical control

Question 22

Person Protection Measures

Answer 22

Avoidance
Proper wear of clothing
Repellents
Self/buddy checks
Tick removal

Question 23

steps for tick removal

Answer 23

Use Fine-Pointed Forceps:
-grasp tick as close to skin as possible
-pull upward with steady, even pressure, do not twist or quick pull tick
-wash attachment site and hands with soap and water or alcohol
-never crush tick with fingers