Ticks can be either hard or soft bodied. The hard ticks have an exposed head and mouth, and a shield that covers most of the upper body. The soft tick is sac-like with no hard shield. Instead, they have a leathery exoskeleton for protection.
When ticks feed, they engorge with blood. Female ticks can grow to be almost 3 times their normal size when engorged. Males don't grow as large as females when they feed. Some adult ticks can exist for two years without feeding.
There are a variety of tick species. Hard tick species include the brown dog tick, American dog tick, Rocky Mountain wood tick and the deer tick. Soft ticks species include the common fowl tick and the relapsing fever tick.
Soft ticks are found in caves and nests, and can attach themselves to birds and bats. Hard ticks are found in deep woods with tall grasses and bushes, and will attach themselves to all mammals, including humans.
Ticks are not insects; they are arachnids. Like spiders, they possess 8 legs. Ticks will find a host, feed and then drop to the ground to complete one of its four life stages. At each stage, the tick goes through a transformation and then will feed when it finds its next host.
Ticks can carry a host of diseases and will pass them on to their hosts. Some common tick-born diseases include Rock Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease. Be sure to seek medical help if a tick bites you. The symptoms of the serious diseases usually manifest themselves within 3-20 days.
Ticks usually can be found in the spring and fall months. They prefer to remain underground during the summer and winter.