Rhipicephalus Sanguineus / Dog Tick

What does a dog tick look like?

A dog tick has various life stages. Its appearance changes with each stage of the dog tick, and therefore there are different descriptions of a dog tick. Below we describe the different phases of the appearance of a dog tick.

Phase 1: Larva
When the dog tick first hatches from the egg, it's called a larva. The tick has 6 legs at this stage and has a blue sheen.
Phase 2: Nymph
After the larva has had one bloodmeal, it develops into a nymph. A nymph has 8 legs and is typically brown. This color changes to gray once the nymph is engorged with blood.
Phase 3: Adult
Once the nymph has had another bloodmeal, it becomes an adult dog tick. The tick remains with 8 legs and keeps a brown color but becomes larger compared to the previous phase.
A dog tick needs to consume blood meals within 200 days. These ticks cannot survive longer than this without food.

Where can the dog tick be found?

This tick species lives in countries with a warm climate on every continent and thus also in Europe, where Rhipicephalus Sanguineus mainly moves in countries around the Mediterranean. The dog tick prefers warm and humid places and tends to stay on rodents, antelopes, livestock, or pets. Therefore, this tick species is also called the dog tick. Although animals are often the victims of this tick, humans can also be bitten by it. This tick species can also survive in nature or in houses. Therefore, we offer anti-tick and flea dog cushions in our assortment. This cushion is impregnated with substances harmful to insects, ensuring that these pathogens can be countered.