Adult ticks have four pairs of legs and no antennae compared to adult insects which have three pairs of legs and one pair of antennae. Depending on the type of tick their color scheme will vary. The most common is the black legged tick or deer tick.
It is common to find ticks in wooded areas along trails. Homeowners who have dogs may see ticks hiding in cracks, behind radiators, under rugs, furniture, on draperies and walls. The brown dog tick is found primarily in kennels.
All ticks have four stages of life: the egg, larva, eight-legged nymph and adult. After the egg hatches, the tiny larva feeds on a host. The larva then develops or molts into the larger nymph. The nymph feeds on a host and then molts into an even larger adult. Male and female ticks will both feed on a host. The females lay eggs which can be done immediately following a feeding. They feed on blood. Which means they can feed on us!!! Ticks take several days to complete feeding.
The most known disease in Wisconsin is arguably Lyme’s Disease, but other diseases such as Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Powassan Virus, are some of the other diseases that can occur due to a bite from ticks.