Deer ticks are the primary cause of the spread of Lyme Disease in the United States. The ticks are brown and often no bigger than the head of the pin, which can make them nearly impossible to spot.
Ticks thrive on blood, latching onto a host and feeding for four or five days until they're swollen to many times their normal size. During feeding, ticks that carry disease-producing bacteria can transmit the bacteria to a healthy host.
To contract Lyme disease, you must be bitten by an infected deer tick. But because the bacteria aren't transmitted for about 48 hours after the bite, removing the tick as soon as possible can help prevent infection.
Click here to see a video about proper tick removal, from the American Lyme Disease Foundation.
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