Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum)
A female Lone Star Tick in the classic "attack" pose -- ready to snag onto any warm blooded creature that happens along.
Lone Star Ticks are not known to transmit Lyme disease. However, according to the Center for Disease Control they do carry STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness), which has some of the same symptoms as Lyme disease but is not as severe. The pathogen responsible for STARI is not known at the present time. Lone Star ticks can be found from central Texas and Oklahoma eastward across the southern states and along the Atlantic coast as far north as Maine.
A Cornell University webpage list tick bite preventative measures (stay out of the woods during tick season, avoid game trails, spray yourself with DEET, perform frequent personal tick inspections) and the proper tick removal procedure: "Using thin tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull gently and slowly away from the skin." Cornell warns against using any of the numerous methods or substances often recommended for making the tick pull out and release. According to Cornell: "These methods are not effective and may cause the tick to regurgitate into the bite wound."
Lone Star Ticks are not known to transmit Lyme disease. However, according to the Center for Disease Control they do carry STARI (Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness), which has some of the same symptoms as Lyme disease but is not as severe. The pathogen responsible for STARI is not known at the present time. Lone Star ticks can be found from central Texas and Oklahoma eastward across the southern states and along the Atlantic coast as far north as Maine.
A Cornell University webpage list tick bite preventative measures (stay out of the woods during tick season, avoid game trails, spray yourself with DEET, perform frequent personal tick inspections) and the proper tick removal procedure: "Using thin tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull gently and slowly away from the skin." Cornell warns against using any of the numerous methods or substances often recommended for making the tick pull out and release. According to Cornell: "These methods are not effective and may cause the tick to regurgitate into the bite wound."
8 comments:
Interesting... I wonder how many hours a day they spend in their "attack pose". Difficult for me to appreciate this bloody little bug. What was evolution thinking, anyway ?
Kinda' pretty rose coloring. But they're still nasty little buggggies. Yish...
Mari-Nanci
Photos-City-Mine
What horrid creatures these are... I can normally get past how things live their lives and that them at face value... alas not these.
I can put up with pesky mosquitos, I can endure chiggers, but keep these guys away from me. there are not many things in nature that I don't like. This is one. The other is the jellyfish that got me on the arm.
Scoprion stings, wasps and bee stings, and spider bite I didn't like, but keep that tick away.
Nice post anyway and great photo.
We have posted:
Alaska's Haul Road - The Dalton Highway.
A 414 mile gravel road,
to the Arctic Ocean
Come join us for the trip,
Troy and Martha
Lucky we don't have many ticks but we still need to watch for them! Great Macro
I have seen these things up close and personal. YUCK. Very good picture tho.
Sorry to hear about the continued computer problems (prev. post.) Glad to hear about the art season, however. As much as we all love your blog, you've gotta take care of business, too!
Sorry I've been AWOL, btw, but I'm still playing tour guide for my Canadian visitor. As soon as she leaves I have a hectic art weekend, myself. THEN things should start getting back to normal. Best of luck to you!
Uck He can Tick off. Great capture.
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