The tick is a big problem in the life of pet parents. The parasite is very small, but it causes a gigantic nuisance in the dog and can still transmit several health problems. Tick disease is extremely serious and affects the entire organism of the animal. Whether it is a star tick, brown tick or any other of the countless types that circulate around, one thing is certain: this parasiteThe reason for this lies in the tick's life span. The arachnid is surprisingly self-sufficient and can survive for a long time even in poor living conditions.

But how long does a tick live anyway? O Paws of the House explains everything about the life cycle of this parasite, both inside and outside the host's body, as well as giving tips on how to get rid of ticks at home. Check it out!

Learn more about the tick life cycle

The tick is an ectoparasitic arachnid, which means that it needs to parasitise other living beings to survive. In addition, it feeds only on blood, a substance it obtains by parasitising another animal. There are different types of tick, such as the star tick and the brown tick. Throughout its life cycle, the arachnid goes through different phases and in each of them it has a hostdifferent.

The female tick lodges in a host (usually a dog) and sucks its blood. She then returns to the environment and lays her eggs (a tick can lay up to 5,000 eggs at once). After 60 days, the larvae, which are the tick pupae, are born. The larva seeks out its first host and starts sucking its blood. It then returns to the environment and turns into a nymph, which would be a tick.Then, the nymph climbs onto another host and also feeds on its blood. Finally, the nymph returns to the environment and finally turns into the tick we know, restarting the whole cycle again.

How long does the tick live outside the dog?

The tick is an extremely hardy animal. This means that it needs very little to survive. Basically, the tick needs good conditions of temperature, humidity and blood. But how long does a tick live outside the dog? This depends on the stage of life it is in. Larvae can stay free in the environment for up to 8 months. Nymphs, on the other hand, cansurvive for about a year and a half without a host, just like the adult tick. It is surprising how long the tick lives outside the dog or any other host without receiving and feeding on blood. That is why the species is considered so resistant and difficult to eliminate.

How long does a tick live on the dog's body?

We already know that the period of time a tick lives outside the dog can be quite long. But then how long does a tick live lodged in the dog's body? Again, the answer varies according to the life stage. Larvae usually need 2-3 days to feed on the host's blood before returning to the environment. For nymphs, the period is longer, needing about 2 to 3 days.Finally, the period of how long a tick lives in the dog's body in its adult phase can last from 5 to 15 days, since in this phase the females need a lot of blood to lay their eggs. That is: adding the maximum time that the arachnid can live free in the environment and housed in the host's body, we can define that the tick's life span can be up to, more orat least 4 years.

How long does a tick live on the human body?

The tick is a parasite that can have several hosts. Its favorite is the dog, but it is possible to see ticks on cats, cattle, rabbits and even humans. Just as the arachnid can cause tick disease in dogs, it can also cause it in all these other hosts, including humans. But after all, how long does a tick live in the human body? The tick's life cycle isalways the same, regardless of the species it has chosen to be its victim. Therefore, the period of how long a tick lives in the human body is the same as that of dogs. It is worth mentioning that the star tick is one of the most common types of tick in humans, transmitting the dreaded spotted fever.

Tick-borne diseases: learn about the most common ones and how long it takes the parasite to transmit them

It is common to always associate this parasite with tick-borne disease. However, it is important to understand that not every tick will transmit disease. Often, it only bites the host, which can cause redness and itching, but nothing more serious. The problem is when the tick is infected with a virus or bacteria. In this case, the tick ends up transmitting these agents into the host's body.Thus, it causes tick-borne disease, which is nothing more than a set of diseases transmitted by the bite of the parasite.

Among the most common types of tick-borne diseases, we can mention spotted fever and Lyme disease (transmitted by the bite of the star tick) and ehrlichiosis and babesiosis (transmitted by the brown tick). But after all: how long does it take the tick to transmit the disease after lodging in the host? This can vary, but it is believed that normally, the arachnid needs to stay fixed in the host's body.in the host's body for about 4 hours to be able to transmit the tick disease to it. When showing symptoms, it is essential to take the pet to the veterinarian. He will indicate which is the best tick treatment and remedy in each case.

To avoid a tick infestation, it is important to take care of the cleanliness of the environment

We can see that, whether it is a star tick or any other, its life cycle is divided into periods in the environment and in the host. Therefore, it is not enough to fight only the parasites that are already in the animal's body: it is necessary to have control of the environment. It is essential to use specific tick medicine to apply indoors and to carry out pest control frequently. These precautions includeprevent the arachnid from settling in the environment.

In addition to the home remedy for ticks, it is important to take care of the dog's body by deworming regularly and using products such as repellents and flea and tick collars. Finally, always check the animal's body after a walk to make sure there are no ticks lodged in its fur.