We have a lot of American dog ticks in our area and we might have some blacklegged ticks, too. Since the nymphs of both species are about the same size, do dog tick nymphs bite people?
American dog tick nymphs can bite people, but in most settings they rarely if ever do. In a national survey of human-biting ticks submitted for identification and testing, only one nymphal dog tick was identified in more than 2,000 submissions. In addition to nymphal blacklegged ticks, nymphal Lone star ticks also are aggressive human biters. Of course, the adult stage of American dog ticks (both female and male) readily bite humans, often being found attached in the scalp. Back to top *4. A couple of weeks ago I went to a walk-in clinic with a reddish round bruise on my ankle. The Dr. treated me with antibiotics as if it were a tick bite. The red mark began to fade the day I started taking the meds. Did I catch the disease in time? Could symptoms return? What should I be looking for? I saw the Dr. within 1-2 days of the “bite”. (T.H. Coventry, RI) Answer: Tick bites can cause small papules up to the size of a nickel. These can be red, raised, and are sometimes itchy. This is in respon
