Because of the wet spring and subsequent vegetation growth, it is proving to be a bad spring for ticks in Nebraska.
Immature or seed tick survival is very good when moisture is plentiful. When temperatures warm, the tick larvae climb on vegetation and wait for a host to brush by the vegetation, so they can attach to the warm-blooded animal, usually dogs or humans. This behavior by the tick is termed, "questing." Once attached, the seed tick feeds on blood and either remains on the animal (one-host tick) or drops off to reattach later as a nymph (two-host tick). The survival rate for seed ticks, nymphs and even adults is low because of the environment (hot, dry) or the chance of not finding a host, but this is offset by the great number of eggs deposited by the female (2000-4000), and the ability of immature and adult ticks to survive long periods without feeding.
In Nebraska, only three tick species, Rocky Mountain wood tick, American dog tick and brown dog tick are numerous enough to be considered economically important. They are economic primarily because they transmit diseases and secondarily because of their annoyance to the host.
The three common Nebraska species are all "hard ticks", and all belong to the 3-host group, however, the brown dog tick parasitizes dogs almost exclusively. Three-host ticks generally parasitize small mammals such as mice and squirrels as seed ticks, larger animals such as dogs and coyotes as nymphs and larger animals such as deer, cattle and horses as adults.
The Rocky Mountain wood tick is a vector of bovine anaplasmosis, canine babesioses and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The American dog tick is the primary vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
People spending time in tick-infested areas should thoroughly examine their bodies after leaving the tick-infested areas with particular attention given to the head, neck and waist. Ticks usually require several hours of attachment and feeding before they can transmit a disease. Parents should check children if they have been in tick-infested areas.
Controlling ticks is difficult and generally requires a combination of cultural, preventive and pesticide control methods specific for the tick in question. Controlling tick-infested vegetation around the home and using contact residual insecticides in the spring on the fringe areas of the yard when ticks are most abundant, reduces tick infestation to children, adults and pets. Insect repellents for humans and shampoos or collars containing insecticide on pets help reduce tick infestations. For specific insecticide recommendations, obatin Extension Circular 99-1551B from your local extension office or online at http://entomology.unl.edu For more biological information, check NebGuide G94-1220, Controlling Ticks.
Dave Varner is an Extension Educator with the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension office in Dodge County. Dave may be contacted at 727-2775, 1206 West 23rd Street in Fremont, or at dvarner1@unl.edu
