Blacklegged ticks require at least two years to complete their life cycle. Larvae hatch in June or July and feed in August or September on white-footed mice or other small mammals. They spend the winter either as engorged larvae or as nymphs. The following year the nymphs take blood meals in spring or early summer, feeding on small mammals, birds, or humans. They usually turn into adults in late summer.
Adults take blood meals in the fall or the following spring.
They feed on white-tailed deer, dogs, horses, raccoons, or humans. Females lay eggs in May, completing the life cycle. The blacklegged tick is important because it is a potential carrier of Lyme disease. Lyme disease is most prevalent in the east central region of Minnesota. Most cases of Lyme disease occur in June and July, although cases have been reported in Minnesota from February through November.