guide

Ticks can be seen at any time of the year, but mainly from late Spring to Autumn. The numbers increases throughout summer and decline sharply in winter.

Animals affected

cattle
buffaloes
deer

These animal also affected

horses, donkey,
sheep
goats
dogs
pigs

Effects on Cattle

tick fevers weaken and kill

Tick worry lowers production
tick bites damage hides.

Effects on others

Tick worry and skin irritation

Others -
Little effect

LIFE CYCLE

All three stages remain on the same animals: usually cattle
LARVAE

After hatching from eggs, swarm up grass blades where they may survive for several months

Attach to cattle and feed for about a week

Shed their skin (moult) on the animal and turn into nymphs

NYMPHS

Also feed for about a week

Moult on the animal and turn into adults

ADULTS Females
Feed slowly for about a week, filling rapidly with blood right at the end of that time

Drop into grass, lay up to 3000 eggs and die.
Males
Feed occasionally but not filling with blood

Wander over the animal for more than 2 months mating with females

EGGS
hatch into larvae after about 2 months in summer


Unfed male	Unfed female	Half fed female	Fully fed

Unfed ticks are the size of match heads, Fully fed they are the size of a pea.
The body is oval to rectangular, grey brown to dark green-grey in colour. The legs have wide spaces between the first pair and snout, and the face is oval, dark brown, and wider at the front.


Unfed female	Half fed female	Fully fed female

Introduced on cattle from Northern Japan, it was first recognised in 1901 in north-eastern New South Wales
A livestock pest in coastal regions
Builds up to great numbers in favourable seasons
Causes losses in production

For advice on the control of Bush Tick contact your local Veterinary, your Veterinary Inspector or District Veterinary Officer.

Nymphs and adults first seen in early spring. Adults most numerous in spring and summer. Larvae follow in late summer. Nymphs in early autumn

Appears on the Eastern coast of New South Wales and a small area on the Eastern coast of Queensland

Animals affected
Mainly'
Cattle
deer
horses
donkeys
dogs

But also
sheep
goats
pigs
people

EFFECT on
Cattle
tick worry lowers production
tick bites damage hides

EFFECT on
Horses
tick worry and severe skin irritation
and other
tick worry

Unfed adult Bush ticks are the size of a match head, Fully fed, they are the size of a pea.
They have an oval, dark red brown to dark blue-grey body. The first pair of legs is close to the snout and the face is broadly oval dark brown, with a short snout, wider at the face.


Unfed female	Half fed female	Fully fed female

An unfed bush tick nymph is the size of a pencil point, and a fully fed nymph the size of a match head.
The body is oval, dark brown to dark blue grey all over.

The Bush Tick larva is microscopic in size, proportionally changing shape from unfed to fully fed in the same way as the nymph. Its body is brown to dark blue grey with a short snout, wider at the face, generally looking much like the nymph.

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Paralysis Tick - Ixodes holocyclus

This native tick lives mainly on bandicoots, and other small marsupials, but also attacks domestic animals and people
a serious pest in coastal regions with bush or scrub country
kills cattle, mainly calves, and small domestic animals

For advice on the control of Paralysis Tick contact your local Veterinarian, your Veterinary Inspector or District Veterinary Officer

advice and information on dealing with the problem of TICKS in domestic pets by Ross Bennett, Veterinarian in the Lower Blue Mountains.

adults are seen in late winter, spring and summer; larvae follow in late summer and autumn.
Nymphs are seen in late autumn and winter. Adults are the only stage generally seen on cattle and then only in very small numbers.
Seen on the East Coast- of Australia

ANIMALS AFFECTED
mainly
bandicoots and other small marsupials

But also affects
cattle
horses
Donkeys
dogs
pigs
pigs
sheep
goats
people

EFFECT ON NATIVE ANIMALS

Little effect

Effects on Other Animals

Paralysis caused by small numbers of adult ticks can be fatal to all young animals

LIFE CYCLE

LARVAE

May survive in thick vegetation for 5 months;
attach to the animal and feed for about a week;
drop back into thick vegetation where they moult into nymphs.

NYMPHS

May survive in thick vegetation for 9 months;
attach to the animal and feed for about a weeks;
drop back into thick vegetation where they moult into adults.

ADULTS - Females

May survive in thick vegetation for 3 months;
attach to the animal and feed for 1 to 3 weeks;
drop back into thick vegetation where they lay up to 3000 eggs and die;
Males
mate with females but do not feed from the animal.

EGGS

Hatch after about 2 months in summer

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PARALYSIS TICKS

Fully Fed

The unfed adult is the size of a match head. A fully fed female, the size of a pea.
Its body is pear shaped to oval, yellow grey to light grey in colour, with black bands on the sides. The legs are in a V shape line from the snout down the sides of the body. The first and last pair of legs are brown, the others pale. The face is brown, oval and wider at the rear, and the snout is very long.

PARALYSIS TICK NYMPH


unfed female nymph	half fed female nymph	half fed female nymph
An unfed Paralysis tick nymph is the size of a pin head, fully fed, the size of a match head. The body is pear shaped to round, light grey to very dark blue-black, and the snout is long.
The larva of the Paralysis Tick is microscopic in size. It is similar in proportion and shape to the Nymph, unfed, through fully fed, with a pale grey to very dark blue grey body and a very long snout.

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ã Page design, Delyth Jeal.
Information from a pamphlet published by the Board of Tick Control NSW Agriculture in 1993.