Original illustration by PestControlBasics.com. Use anatomical labels above to confirm your identification.
🔍 Identification
4 life stages over 2 years: Egg (spring) → Larva (August-September, feeds on mice, not humans — not yet infected) → Nymph (May-August, feeds on mice/deer/humans — PRIMARY LYME RISK — 1-2mm, poppy seed size, nearly invisible) → Adult (October-May, feeds on deer/humans — larger but most active in cooler months when people are less outdoors). Nymphs cause 90%+ of Lyme disease cases because of their tiny size and peak activity during outdoor season.
🧬 Biology & Behavior
The white-footed mouse is the primary Lyme reservoir — mice infect larvae, which become nymphs that transmit to humans. Deer are important for adult tick reproduction but are poor Lyme reservoirs. 'Deer ticks' could more accurately be called 'white-footed mouse ticks' for understanding Lyme epidemiology. The transmission window: infected ticks must be attached for 36+ hours to transmit Lyme — prompt tick removal is highly protective.
⚠️ Damage & Health Risk
Lyme disease transmission (most common vector-borne disease in the US — 476,000 cases annually); anaplasmosis; babesiosis; Powassan virus (rare but serious).
🔧 DIY Treatment
May-August nymph treatment: bifenthrin spray on lawn edges and woodland borders; tick tubes placed along wooded edges (targets white-footed mice). October adult treatment: bifenthrin repeat application. Permethrin on clothing for personal protection. Daily tick checks after outdoor activity.
👷 When to Call a Pro
Professional tick management programs combining May and September spray applications plus tick tube placement along woodland edges reduce tick populations by 70-90% in research trials.