Lone Star ticks and American dog ticks are by far the most common ticks encountered in Iowa. Both of these species have similar life cycles and habits. The larva, nymph, and adult stages must each obtain a bloodmeal from a separate host in order for the life cycle to continue. For this reason, they are often referred to as 3-host ticks. While all stages can and will infest any warmblooded animal if need be, they seem to have some preference in terms of the hosts they choose.
Adults commonly infest large and medium sized animals such as dogs, deer, raccoons, and opossum.
The larva and nymph stages may feed on these same hosts but prefer to infest smaller animals such as field mice, squirrels, and rabbits. All stages will feed on humans if given the opportunity. Since Lone Star ticks and American dog ticks must be in areas of high humidity in order to survive, they are most commonly found in wooded or brushy areas, or in areas where there is tall grassy or weedy vegetation. Controlling ticks in outdoor areas is extremely difficult. While several insecticides are labeled for outdoor tick control, these products are usually not effective in eliminating large numbers of ticks for extended periods of time.