It’s so tiny, you can’t even feel it crawling on your skin. It’s the Deer Tick (Ixodes scapularis), also known as the Black-legged Tick, and it’s already looking for someone to latch on to. Don’t let it be you. After your foray outdoors, be certain to shower and conduct a full body search for these little hitchhikers. Then, remember to launder the clothing you were wearing. Deer Ticks in the Lower Susquehanna River Watershed frequently transmit Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, and can be vectors of other microbiological pathogens as well. The specimen in this photograph is an adult male. Adult females are similar, but the edge of the abdomen has a crescent-shaped reddish border. The nymphal stage tick, which is half the size of an adult, is even more likely to infect humans with the Lyme disease bacteria, so be extra vigilant.
