American Dog Tick Dermacentor variabilis

Identification
This tick has brown body with mottled white markings.

Location
Common statewide

Size
One quarter inch

Diet
It feeds on blood from mammals.

Habitat
It occurs in fields and forest edges.

Activity Period
April to September

Behavior
It climbs vegetation and attaches to passing hosts. It is active in warm months.

Lifecycle
Breeding occurs in summer.

Population
The population is stable statewide.

History
It has long been widespread in Ohio.

Human Interactions
It may bite humans and pets.

Facts
It is a vector of spotted fever group bacteria.

Sources
ODNR NatureServe

Blood from mammals | Fields forests roadsides | Statewide