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| Calling WTF entomologists | Login/Join |
Has Achieved Nirvana |
I found this object on the carpet and couldn't figure out what it was. It felt kind of waxy and hard. I set it aside to show to Mr wtg. When he came in the kitchen a few minutes later I couldn't find it. That's because it had walked away. I've never seen anything like it. Dorsal view:  Ventral:  There's no way it can flip over if it's on its back. It's about half an inch long. What the heck is it?
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| "I've got morons on my team." Mitt Romney Minor Deity  |
Um, I think that's a very well fed tick ... Please shrink the image down.  | |||
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
Holy carp, P*D. You're right. Ticks aren't usually a problem around here, so I had no idea what they look like after they've eaten.
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Minor Deity |
That's what I thought it was, too.
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| Pinta & the Santa Maria Has Achieved Nirvana  |
Yes, definitely a tick. Eeew. Check your furry friends and make sure they don't have any in their coats. | |||
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Minor Deity |
Good opportunity to check out your creme brulee torch.
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| (self-titled) semi-posting lurker Minor Deity  |
OMG. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww. We sometimes come across bugs we can't identify. Mr Sk is very dedicated to catch and release, he has an old deli container set aside for that specific purpose. And he's pretty cavalier about it most of the time.... this is a reminder to maybe be a little more wary. 
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
So after some research I'm pretty certain it's a dog tick and not a deer tick. The head and legs of a deer tick are black; the dog tick has reddish brown legs and a distinctive pattern around the head. There's a free tick identification service through East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvia. I sent them the pics. It's a very cool site. You can see by state how many deer ticks and non-deer ticks they've tested, and what percentage of the ticks tested were infected with various pathogens. (click on Stats at the top of the page) https://www.ticklab.org/ Ugly little beggar.
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| "I've got morons on my team." Mitt Romney Minor Deity |
Deer ticks are small. Dog ticks are gigantic by comparison. | |||
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
That's what I thought, but I read on one site that the engorged females of both species can get up to half in inch in length, so I wasn't sure. We've been dog owners for more than 40 years and this is the first time I've seen an engorged tick. About ten years ago I spotted a tick just hopping on for the ride on the front leg of one of my goldens. And maybe twenty years ago found one that hadn't yet started snacking on the tummy of a Newf. And I've never been the camping type so haven't run into them in the wild. I don't get out much.  Thanks to all for the quick ID!
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
Stop bugging me.  We have so much pesticide sprayed, I think we're limited to three or four small cockroaches a week. They go out however they come in. Hard no on spraying pesticide in the house. | |||
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Has Achieved Nirvana |
 Have not seen a tick in years.
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Minor Deity |
Certainly looks that way to me. I have had the rather unpleasant experience of pulling many such creatures off dogs in the past.  | |||
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| Has Achieved Nirvana |
From the National Geographic newsletter: "Tick-borne diseases have reached 'epidemic proportions.' Here's what you should know. These tiny, spider-like arthropods transmit agents causing at least 16 diseases in the U.S., and many more worldwide. In the U.S.—where Lyme disease alone infects nearly 500,000 people each year—infections have more than doubled since 2004. Among the symptoms patients struggle with: long-term memory problems, overwhelming fatigue, and even red-meat allergies. SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE LONE STAR TICK: The tick that could make you allergic to meat is spreading +"
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| "I've got morons on my team." Mitt Romney Minor Deity |
It's an even more unpleasant task pulling them out of your own body, especially if they are buried in ... certain locations! | |||
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