Hosts

Ticks feed on many hosts such as rodents, birds, deer, livestock, pets, and humans. Tick larvae acquire most disease-causing agents from small mammals and birds; nymphs and adults pass them to larger animals and people.

Migratory birds, livestock movement, pets, and outdoor recreation move ticks through rural, wooded, peri-urban, and urban areas, where changing climate conditions or host imbalances (like especially abundant rodents and fewer predators) can increase tick and infection rates.