Lone Star Ticks
Amblyomma americanum (Linnaeus)
Identification
Pest Stats
Color
Reddish brown, becoming slate gray when engorged
Legs
Larvae have 6 legs, nymphs and adults have 8 legs
Shape
Oval, flattened
Size
Females are 1/6-1/4” (4-6 mm) un-engorged and 1/2” (16 mm) engorged; Males are smaller
Antennae
No
Region
West central Texas northward to northern Missouri and eastward from Maine to the southern tip of Florida
What Do Lone Star Ticks Look Like?
Unengorged adult female lone star ticks are about 1/8 inches long, while males are slightly smaller. When engorged, adult female lone star ticks can be up to 7/16 inches long. Lone star ticks have reddish brown oval bodies that become slate grey when engorged. Females have a single whitish to silvery spot on their backs, whereas make lone star ticks have several inverted horseshoe-shaped whitish spots along their backs.
Signs of an Infestation
The lone star tick does not survive indoors. If found indoors, it was probably carried in on a pet or humans and dropped off when fully engorged.
Lone Star Tick Photos
Infestation & Prevention
How to Get Rid of Lone Star Ticks
Habitat modification and the removal of hosts are key to lone star tick removal. Keep grass cut low, and trim back vegetation along trails, paths, and yard edges. Remove debris and ground cover to discourage rodents from making the yard their home. If you suspect a lone start tick problem on your property, contact a licensed pest control professional.
Lone Star Tick Bites
Lone star tick bites will occasionally result in a circular rash, and they can transmit diseases. If a lone star tick is found on the body, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp it as close to the skin's surface as possible. Then, pull upward with steady, even pressure and avoid twisting or jerking the tick as this can cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin. Once the tick is removed, thoroughly clean the bite site with soap and water. Then, flush the tick down the toilet or wrap it tightly in a tissue before disposing in a closed receptacle. If you develop a rash, headaches, pains or fever, call a doctor immediately.
To avoid lone star tick bites, experts recommend wearing tick repellent and long-sleeved clothes. Avoid sitting on logs, stumps, or the ground in bushy areas. Periodically inspect clothing and the body for ticks to remove them before they become attached.
Education
Habits
The lone star tick is a 3-host tick, with each stage requiring a different host. These ticks usually contact a host by crawling up on the tips of low-growing vegetation and waiting for a host to pass by and brush the vegetation. While larvae are almost entirely dependent on this behavior, nymphs and adults may become stimulated by the warmth and carbon dioxide from a host spending considerable time in the area and will drop to the ground, find the host, and climb onto it.
Lone star ticks cannot survive long exposure to the sun and are therefore typically found in shaded areas. The habitat must also contain both small animal hosts for larvae and large animal hosts for adults. A relative humidity of greater than 65 percent is required for egg hatch and larval survival until host attachment. A favorite habitat of the lone star tick is the woods to lawn or meadow transitional zone.
Small animal larval hosts include the gray fox, cottontail rabbit, striped skunk, raccoon, cotton rat, gray squirrel, cat, and ground nesting birds. Nymphs get on many of these same animals, as well as larger animals typical for adults. Adult hosts include foxes, dogs, cats, cattle, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, and humans – humans are attacked by all 3 stages.
Threats
The lone start tick is known to bite humans. This tick is a vector of many dangerous diseases, including tularemia, Heartland virus, Bourbon virus and Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI). Great care should be exercised when removing embedded ticks because their long mouthparts make removal difficult. The mouthparts are often broken off during removal which may result in secondary infection.
NPMA Shares Spring Cleaning Tips to Prevent Pests
National Pest Management Association shares insight on what pests to watch out for this spring and how to keep them at bay.
Soggy Spring and Mild Summer Create Perfect Conditions for Pests to Thrive
The National Pest Management Association just released its summer Vector Sectors™ list of the top 10 U.S. cities with the greatest risk for increased pest pressure from vector pests for the remainder of summer and into fall. Did your city make the list?
NPMA Launches TickTalk.org During Inaugural Tick Awareness Week
This Tick Awareness Week, NPMA launched its newest project, TickTalk.org, a first-of-its-kind digital destination dedicated to ticks and tickborne diseases.
Rainy Spring and Summer Will Do More Than Dampen Outdoor Plans
The NPMA today released its bi-annual Bug Barometer® forecast. According to the group’s team of entomologists, warm and wet spring and summer conditions predicted for much of the U.S. will contribute to spikes in pest populations nationwide.
![vectorsectors_02.17 - Final[2].jpg](/media/562844/vectorsectors_0217-final-2.jpg?preset=bottomCallout360)
Heavy Snow and Chilly Temps Increase Pest Pressure Across U.S.
NPMA released its bi-annual Vector Sectors™ list of the top 10 U.S. cities with the greatest risk for increased vector pest pressure for the remainder of winter and into spring.
NPMA Emphasizes Tick Prevention Amidst New CDC Lyme Disease Estimates
According to the CDC, human cases of tickborne Lyme disease are more common in the U.S. than previously thought. In the wake of this alarming uptick, the NPMA is reminding the public about the health threats posed by ticks and the precautions people should be taking when outdoors.