There are four main types of ticks found on the east coast of Australia. These are:
- paralysis ticks;
- brown dog ticks;
- cattle ticks; and
- scrub ticks, although it is often difficult to differentiate them.
The size of a tick is an indication of its age and not its type. The size of an engorged tick ranges from a few millimetres to 15 millimetres.
Ticks climb up trees, grass and other vegetation to wait for a suitable host to pass by. The tick will attach itself to the animal and suck blood from its unwilling host. Native, feral and domestic animals, such as rats, bandicoots, cats, possums and dogs, often carry ticks into yards.
Children should be checked for ticks when they come in from playing outside in tick prone areas. Cats and dogs should be checked by hand daily. In addition to hand checking, your local vet will be able to recommend a product to help with tick prevention for your pets.
There is some controversy over whether a tick should be removed or not. If you decide to remove the tick yourself, use fine tweezers around the head end of the tick and ease it out gently. Ticks can also be killed with pyrethrin insect repellent or fly spray (the tick will shrivel and drop off in around twelve hours). Squeezing the body of the tick must be avoided. Insect repellent sprayed on the body and clothes can be used as a deterrent against ticks.
Spraying of yards or bushland to kill ticks is not recommended, as the sprays will kill all insects in the area. Ticks will return to the area, in any case, on the backs of mammals, and will thrive without predatory insects and spiders to eat them.
For further information please contact your local vet.