The eggs hatch into six-legged larvae that crawl up vegetation, such as blades of grass, and wait until they detect a suitable host. When such an animal touches the vegetation, the ticks attach and crawl upwards. They prefer the host's ears, belly, anal region, and where the legs attach. There the ticks feed a little and then rest before moulting into the next stage. This is repeated twice until they become eight-legged adults.
Adult males are only about twice the size of unfed females.
With a population of only 10,000 female ticks, a moose will lose about 3 litres of blood. Besides the blood loss, the feeding of the ticks causes loss of their insulating fur as well as disruptions to resting and feeding. Heavy infestations often lead to death from exposure and starvation. Contact Art Fahl 288-2390. Deadline for submissions is noon Wednesdays.