Brown Dog Tick
Rhipicephalus sanguineus (Latrielle).
Class: Insecta
Order: Acari
Family: Ixodidae
American Pest's Integrated Tick Management Program uses sound integrated control strategies to effectively reduce tick populations in your yard.
Size & Characteristics: Brown dog tick adults are about 1/8 in (3 mm) long, but when engorged with blood they are up to 1/2 in (12 mm) long. Body flattened from top to bottom; male with tiny pits scattered on back; mouth visible from above.
Color: Reddish brown, but gray-blue or olive color when full of blood.
Geographic Range: Throughout the United States and the world.
Habitat: Brown dog ticks are common on dogs, and in the warm, dry, indoor conditions in the homes dogs live in, but they seldom attack humans.
Food: Dog blood!
Biology: The engorged female drops off the host dog, but tends to crawl upwards, depositing 1,000-3,000 tiny dark brown eggs in wall or ceiling crevices and cracks, and then she dies. Eggs hatch in 19-60 days into tiny larvae with 6 legs. These "seed ticks" crawl down the walls and attach to a dog, but can go for 8 months without food or water. After engorging 3-6 days they enlarge to 1/16 in (2 mm), becoming blue, then drop off to find a place to molt. In 1-3 weeks they become reddish-brown nymphs with 8 legs. They attach again and engorge for 4-9 days, growing to 1/8 in (3 mm) and turning dark gray. The nymphs then drop off, hide and molt into adults in 12-19 days. They seek a host dog as soon as possible, but can survive up to 18 months before attachment, after which they engorge 6-50 days and mate. They may complete this cycle in 2 months, but there are usually only 2 generations per year in the north, and 4 generations per year in the south.
Invasion: The tendency for brown dog ticks to move upward helps them to find a host dog.
Damage: Dog ticks are a nuisance to the host animal and the household. Although they seldom attack humans, they are vectors for several disease organisms.
Environmental Policy
The employees of American Pest Management are committed to improving the quality of life for all of our customers by providing the safest and most effective treatment for the management of pests which pose a threat to their health, property, and food supply. History has shown that neglecting to control pests such as cockroaches, mosquitoes, rodents, and ticks, and the misapplication of pest control products are equally dangerous.
