American Dog Tick

Adult males and females are active April-early August in most regions, and are mostly found questing in tall grass and low lying brush and twigs. Adult American dog ticks commonly attack humans, typically climbing to the crown of the head. Male ticks blood feed briefly but do not become engorged with blood. After a brief (1-2 day) attachment, males detach and wander on the host in search of an attached feeding female to mate with. Females can take one week or more to completely engorge. Once replete, female American dog ticks detach from their host and drop into the leaf litter, where they can lay over 4,000 eggs before dying. Nymphs and larvae rarely attach to people or pets. Larvae are most active biting rodents in May and June while nymphs are most active in July and August.