Understanding Ticks
For many of us living Down Under, nature is a significant part of our lives, but with it comes the less welcome element of ticks.
These tiny arachnids are not only common but can pose health risks. Understanding ticks in Australia is essential, particularly for parents of active young children or owners of pets who love exploring the outdoors.
Understanding Ticks
For many of us living Down Under, nature is a significant part of our lives, but with it comes the less welcome element of ticks.
These tiny arachnids are not only common but can pose health risks. Understanding ticks in Australia is essential, particularly for parents of active young children or owners of pets who love exploring the outdoors.
Most Common Ticks in Australia
The appearance of a tick can vary depending on the type of tick and its life stage. Let’s take a closer look at some specific species common in Australia with our Australian tick identification chart.
Paralysis Tick
The paralysis tick is one of the most common and dangerous ticks in Australia.
It has a patterned ...light-brown teardrop shape when unfed and has a grey body when engorged, reaching up to 14mm when fully engorged.
It’s most easily recognised by its legs, with the front and back legs being a darker brown than the middle legs. They are also placed are close to the head – this is especially apparent when engorged.
Another recognisable feature is its long snout, resulting in a pointier shape teardrop shape compared to many other tick species.
This tick is primarily found along the Eastern coast of Australia and prefers a humid, bushy environment.
Bush Tick
While other tick species are sometimes colloquially called ‘bush ticks’ in Australia, many Australian tick identification... charts list the Haemaphysalis Longicornis as the bush tick.
The bush tick is a reddish-brown tick species with a flattened oval-shaped body and a short snout. The adult female bush tick measures around 5mm in length, while the males are slightly smaller.
This tick is commonly found in grassy and wooded areas, including forests and rural environments.
Brown Dog Tick
The brown dog tick, also known as Rhipicephalus Sanguineus, is reddish-brown in colour with a slender..., flattened oval body, and has prominent ridges on its back.
The adult female brown dog tick can grow up to 5mm in length, while the males are slightly smaller.
This tick species is particularly associated with dogs and can be found in urban environments, kennels, and areas where dogs frequent.
The Life Cycle of Ticks
Ticks go through a fascinating, albeit unnerving, life cycle. This journey starts from an egg and progresses through three blood-sucking stages: larvae, nymph, and adult. Each stage requires a host for feeding and development.
Egg Stage
The life cycle of a tick begins when an adult female tick lays eggs, typically in humid and sheltered areas such as leaf litter or the soil. A single female tick can lay thousands of eggs at a time. These eggs are tiny and often difficult to spot, measuring around 0.5mm in size. The eggs hatch into larvae after a period of incubation.
Larval Stage
Once the eggs hatch, the larvae emerge and begin their search for a host. At this stage, larvae are extremely small, usually less than 1mm in size and typically only have six legs. They are often referred to as ‘seed ticks’ due to their small size and abundance. Larvae typically target small mammals or birds for their first blood meal. If a larva successfully attaches to a host, it feeds for several days before detaching and molting into the next stage.
Nymph Stage
After molting, the tick enters the nymph stage. Nymphs are larger than larvae, measuring around 1-3mm in size, and have eight legs like adult ticks. Like larvae, nymphs seek out a host for a blood meal. They are capable of attaching to a broader range of hosts, including larger mammals and humans. Once attached, the nymph feeds for several days to weeks before dropping off the host to molt into the adult stage.
Adult Stage
The final stage of the tick’s life cycle is the adult stage. Adult ticks are larger and more easily visible, with females growing up to 5-10mm in size, depending on the species. At this stage, ticks require a substantial blood meal to reproduce. Female ticks attach to a host, feed for several days to a week, and then detach to lay eggs. Male ticks also feed but typically detach sooner. After completing their blood meal, adult ticks die, and the cycle starts anew.
It’s important to note that the duration of each life cycle stage can vary depending on factors such as temperature, humidity, and availability of hosts. Nymphs and adult ticks can be active all year round! Make sure you’re prepared with Tick Off!
Most Common Ticks in Australia
The appearance of a tick can vary depending on the type of tick and its life stage. Let’s take a closer look at some specific species common in Australia with our Australian tick identification chart.
Paralysis Tick
The paralysis tick is one of the most common and dangerous ticks in Australia.
It has a patterned light-brown teardrop shape when unfed and has a grey body when engorged, reaching up to 14mm when fully engorged.
It’s most easily recognised by its legs, with the front and back legs being a darker brown than the middle legs. They are also placed are close to the head – this is especially apparent when engorged.
Another recognisable feature is its long snout, resulting in a pointier shape teardrop shape compared to many other tick species.
This tick is primarily found along the Eastern coast of Australia and prefers a humid, bushy environment.
Bush Tick
While other tick species are sometimes colloquially called ‘bush ticks’ in Australia, many Australian tick identification charts list the Haemaphysalis Longicornis as the bush tick.
The bush tick is a reddish-brown tick species with a flattened oval-shaped body and a short snout. The adult female bush tick measures around 5mm in length, while the males are slightly smaller.
This tick is commonly found in grassy and wooded areas, including forests and rural environments.
Brown Dog Tick
The brown dog tick, also known as Rhipicephalus Sanguineus, is reddish-brown in colour with a slender, flattened oval body, and has prominent ridges on its back.
The adult female brown dog tick can grow up to 5mm in length, while the males are slightly smaller.
This tick species is particularly associated with dogs and can be found in urban environments, kennels, and areas where dogs frequent.
Recognise any of these in your area? Arm yourself against ticks with Tick Off!
The Life Cycle of Ticks
Ticks go through a fascinating, albeit unnerving, life cycle. This journey starts from an egg and progresses through three blood-sucking stages: larvae, nymph, and adult. Each stage requires a host for feeding and development.
The life cycle of a tick begins when an adult female tick lays eggs, typically in humid and sheltered areas such as leaf litter or the soil. A single female tick can lay thousands of eggs at a time. These eggs are tiny and often difficult to spot, measuring around 0.5mm in size. The eggs hatch into larvae after a period of incubation.
Once the eggs hatch, the larvae emerge and begin their search for a host. At this stage, larvae are extremely small, usually less than 1mm in size and typically only have six legs. They are often referred to as ‘seed ticks’ due to their small size and abundance. Larvae typically target small mammals or birds for their first blood meal. If a larva successfully attaches to a host, it feeds for several days before detaching and molting into the next stage.
After molting, the tick enters the nymph stage. Nymphs are larger than larvae, measuring around 1-3mm in size, and have eight legs like adult ticks. Like larvae, nymphs seek out a host for a blood meal. They are capable of attaching to a broader range of hosts, including larger mammals and humans. Once attached, the nymph feeds for several days to weeks before dropping off the host to molt into the adult stage.
The final stage of the tick’s life cycle is the adult stage. Adult ticks are larger and more easily visible, with females growing up to 5-10mm in size, depending on the species. At this stage, ticks require a substantial blood meal to reproduce. Female ticks attach to a host, feed for several days to a week, and then detach to lay eggs. Male ticks also feed but typically detach sooner. After completing their blood meal, adult ticks die, and the cycle starts anew.
It’s important to note that the duration of each life cycle stage can vary depending on factors such as temperature, humidity, and availability of hosts.
Nymphs and adult ticks can be active all year round! Make sure you’re prepared with Tick Off!
The Risks: Tick-Borne Diseases and Paralysis
The Australian paralysis tick is the most important and medically significant tick in Australia. Over 95% of tick bites in eastern Australia are and most tick-borne illnesses are due to this species.
Tick bite symptoms may include fever, fatigue, and skin redness and rashes, making prompt removal and medical attention essential.
When removed safety most tick bites pose no medical problems. However, tick bites can lead to a variety of illness including severe allergic reactions, infection, rarely tick-induced paralysis, and post-infection fatigue.
In some cases, tick bites may even cause allergic reactions to mammalian meats, such as beef, known as mammalian meat allergy.
Paralysis ticks in particular carry an additional risk. The paralysis tick produces a neurotoxin in its salivary glands during feeding, which can cause paralysis mostly in animals, but humans can also be affected if left unchecked. This generally starts as headaches, rashes, fever that progress to weakness in the legs, progressing to the upper body, and can lead to difficulty breathing.
In the case of a paralysis tick bite, is important to identify and remove them as early as possible to reduce exposure time to the neurotoxin. This is especially the case for children and small animals, such as household pets; very young children and pets can be more vulnerable to the paralysis tick's toxin if left unchecked.
The best way to reduce these risks is to kill the tick early. Arm yourself with Tick Off!
Prevention and Tick Safety
If you live in a tick-prone environment, here are several things you can do to prevent tick bites.
Parents should regularly check their children for ticks, especially around the head and neck area. For pets, using tick prevention treatments and regularly checking their coats is advisable.
Avoid tall grass, leaf litter and shrubs wherever possible. Reduce your skin exposure - wear long clothing and tuck trousers into socks. Consider using an insect repellent - be sure to spray your feet and legs as well. Consider wearing light-coloured clothing to make checking for ticks easier.
For more information on what you can do to protect yourself against ticks, read our article, Tick prevention in Australia.
If you find a tick, the safest way to remove a tick is to freeze it off with a tick freeze spray like Medi Freeze Tick Off Freeze Spray. Remember to always read the label and follow the direction for use.