August 1996
Acari: Ixodidae Ixodes scapularis
COLOR: Dark-colored
DESCRIPTION: Deer ticks are small, dark-colored ticks sometimes called seed ticks. Deer ticks feed mostly on deer, cattle, and other large animals, but they will feed on people when they get a chance.
HABITAT: These ticks are found along paths, trails, and roadways.
TYPE OF DAMAGE: May inflict a painful bite. Deer ticks can carry Lyme disease. Deer ticks are in the genus Ixodes, and there are several species of Ixodes that carry the Lyme disease bacteria in their systems. Lyme disease has become a notable tick-borne disease in some eastern states but does not appear to be a problem in Virginia yet. It is an affliction that occurs in the summer months. This tick-transmitted bacterial disease is most likely to be contracted during the months of June through September, when young people and adults are outdoors. It is spreading rapidly, and is now the most frequently diagnosed tick-transmitted illness in the United States. Lyme disease is also becoming a veterinary problem. Dogs and horses in areas where the disease is common have developed joint problems that veterinarians believe to be caused by Lyme bacteria.
CONTROL: Lyme disease can be treated successfully with antibiotics administered orally. See your doctor.
INTERESTING FACTS: Lyme disease was first reported in Connecticut in 1975, and is named after the town of Lyme in which the disease was first observed.