Life
Cycle and Control |
Eggs
are laid only once by the female in gelatinous masses of up to 20,000.
The female dies after laying the eggs. It may from 10 days to several
months for the eggs to hatch into larvae that resemble those of mites.
The larvae are quiescent for several days before climbing grasses to the
tips of the leaves where they wait for a suitable host to pass by. They
mount a host, take a blood meal and drop of the host, digest the blood
meal, and develop into an intermediate stage called the nymph. The nymph
takes another host and blood meal before becoming a mature adult. Some
ticks will pass through through several nymph stages. Tick life cycles
can take several years to complete depending upon host availability.
Most ticks only have
one host and are unimportant for disease transmission. Others can use
up to three different hosts and are major concerns. Humans are more often
parasitised by larvae and nymphs than mature ticks. |
|
Other
Countermeasures |
Ticks
seen on a person should be removed as quickly as possible. Pulling them
off with blunt forceps and treating the wound with antibiotics is most
effective. Dabbing them with toxic solvents, such as chloroform, ether
or benzene is also effective.
Animals, including
pets and livestock should be treated with acaricidal dips or drenches. |
No
specific recommendations |