Depending upon the species of tick, the life cycle may take as little as a few months or as much as two years. The adult American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis , is active in the spring, summer and fall. It lives along woodland paths, in parks, pastures, wastelands, and other shrubby habitats in rural and suburban areas of North Carolina. It is found throughout North Carolina, but is most common in the piedmont. In each stage of its life cycle, this tick may feed on a different animal.
Adults prefer humans and dogs as hosts.
In North Carolina and throughout the southeastern United States, the American dog tick is the vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. However, this species does not transmit Lyme disease. The brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus , occurs throughout North Carolina and may be active year round. In all stages, it feeds almost exclusively on dogs and rarely attacks people. Brown dog tick females may lay egg masses in cracks and crevices along building foundations, in pet kennels, and in homes.