There are more than 800 species of ticks found around the world, and 84 that have been documented in the United States. The most common ones are blacklegged ticks (also known as deer ticks, but they feed on lots of animals besides deer), lone star ticks, American dog ticks and brown dog ticks. Both male and female ticks feed on blood by inserting their barbed, straw-like mouthparts into the skin of their host (unlike mosquitoes, which only bite if they’re females preparing to lay eggs). However, only female ticks drink to the point that they become engorged. Yes, they can be a public health concern, but we don’t want you to let ticks keep you indoors,” she said.

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Persons: ”, Kait Chapman, Thomas Mather, ” Chapman, Lyme, they’ll, “, Mather, Chapman, permethrin, Kate Golembiewski Organizations: CNN, University of Nebraska, University of Rhode, Vector, Environmental Protection Agency Locations: United States, Lincoln, University of Rhode Island, Lyme, Chicago