Despite their minuscule size, ticks can cause disease and even kill.
Ticks are members of the arachnid class that includes spiders and mites.
All ticks are carnivorous, feeding on the blood of various species of birds, reptiles and mammals, including humans. Ticks can be as small as the head of a pin or the size of a small button and are often difficult to detect. As they feed on blood, the secretions that ticks return to the skin can cause infections. The Gory Details Ticks use their mouth parts to anchor themselves to the skin, where they cut a small hole and suck the blood. A number of species of ticks, such as dog ticks and deer ticks, transmit diseases infecting livestock, pets and humans.