Blacklegged Tick
This adult female "deer" tick was no doubt hoping that I would provide its third bloodmeal before it overwintered. Sadly for the tick, it did not succeed. It had a black head and dorsal shield, and a dark red abdomen. Adults have 8 legs.
The lifecycle of blacklegged ticks generally lasts two years. During this time, they go through four life stages: egg, six-legged larva, eight-legged nymph, and eight-legged adult. Ixodes scapularis is a three-host tick, which means that it must have one bloodmeal during each life stage (larva, nymph, adult) in order to survive. Ixodes scapularis is the main vector of Lyme disease in North America. It can also transmit other diseases such as Babesiosis, Powassan, and Anaplasmosis.
"Ixodes scapularis" is a hard-bodied tick of the eastern and northern Midwestern United States. It is a vector for several diseases of animals, including humans and is known as the deer tick owing to its habit of parasitizing the white-tailed deer. It is also known to parasitize mice, lizards, migratory birds, etc. especially while the tick is in the larva or nymph stage.
comments (10)
I'd easily recognize it now though, the frequency of attack gives it away. It comes and goes like night and day. Posted 7 years ago
I called in sick for work, reporting malaria as the cause. The sick handling is outsourced so not directly with the company. They were shocked and said "take all the time you need". The lady on the phone was almost ready to give away condolences.
I got proper meds and returned to work 2 weeks later. I used the health broker's automated voice system to report to them that I'm off the sick leave.
Somehow that message never got through. 8 months later they call me, very carefully suggesting if I would consider returning to work, part-time if needed.
They thought I was on some 8 month long death bed and were too afraid to call to check on me this whole time. Posted 7 years ago