Ticks are small parasitic organisms that feed on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians. When ticks attach to a host and feed, their bodies slowly expand as they ingest blood, eventually becoming fully engorged. At this point, the tick will detach itself from the host and fall off. This is a natural part of the tick life cycle, but it raises some important questions. What exactly happens when a full tick detaches? What risks does this pose? And what should you do if you find a fully engorged tick that has fallen off of you or a pet? Let’s explore this topic in more detail.
What is a fully engorged tick?
Ticks go through four life stages:
- Egg
- Larva
- Nymph
- Adult
It is only in the adult stage that ticks take a large blood meal and become fully engorged. When a tick first attaches and begins to feed, its body is flat and leathery. Over the course of several days, the tick’s body expands dramatically as it fills with blood. A fully engorged tick can be nearly 10 times larger than a flat, unfed tick.
Appearance of a fully engorged tick
A fully engorged tick has a greatly enlarged abdomen that is oval, rounded, or balloon-like in shape. The upper body is small in comparison. The color is usually gray or grayish-blue if the blood meal was from a human or other mammal. The size of an engorged tick depends on the tick species, but may be as large as 1 cm in length for the abdomen alone.
What happens when a full tick falls off?
Once a tick has completed its blood meal, it will spontaneously detach itself from the host’s skin and fall off. This usually occurs anywhere from 3 to 7 days after the initial attachment.
Here is a general overview of what happens when a fully engorged tick detaches:
- The tick ceases feeding and releases specialized proteins in its saliva that allow it to detach its mouthparts from the host tissue.
- The tick typically moves upwards on the host to find an area of thinner skin.
- The tick releases substances that destroy local blood clots and prevent further clotting.
- The tick detaches its mouthparts with a twisting motion and drops off the host.
- The tick seeks out a secluded location to digest its blood meal.
Some key points about the detachment process:
- It allows the tick to safely extract its mouthparts without damage.
- The tick’s saliva contains compounds that keep blood flowing to facilitate detachment.
- The tick does not actually “regurgitate” blood as is sometimes believed.
- Dropping off signals the end of feeding and the start of digestion.
Where do fully fed ticks go?
Once detached from the host, the engorged tick will seek shelter in leaf litter, underbrush, or cracks in the soil. This protects it from predators while it digests its meal. Digestion may take several days to weeks. After this, females will lay eggs and then die. Males may continue to seek other feeding opportunities. Nymphs and larvae may also molt into the next life stage.
Risks from a detached, full tick
While a feeding tick can transmit disease, a fully engorged tick that has detached poses much less risk:
- It is no longer attached to you, so it cannot keep transmitting pathogens.
- Your risk of getting a disease like Lyme is tied to how long the tick was attached.
- Once detached, it will soon shed any remaining pathogens through digestion.
However, there are some minimal risks to be aware of:
- The tick may have already transmitted pathogens before it detached.
- Some pathogens can persist in the tick’s body through digestion.
- Contact with the tick fluids may theoretically spread pathogens.
- Improperly removing the tick may cause its contents to spill.
So while an engorged tick is much less risky than a feeding tick, care should still be taken in handling and disposal. Monitor yourself and your pets for any signs of illness following a tick bite.
What to do if you find a full tick
If you discover a fully engorged tick, either attached or recently detached from yourself or a pet, follow these steps:
- If attached, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
- Pull straight up slowly and steadily without twisting until the tick releases.
- Wash the bite area with soap and water.
- Apply an antiseptic to the bite.
- Dispose of the dead tick by drowning it in alcohol or flushing it down the toilet.
- Note the date and where on the body the tick was removed.
- Watch for symptoms like rash or fever and see a doctor if concerned.
Avoid crushing or puncturing the tick’s body during removal, as this may increase disease risks. Also refrain from using methods like heat, vaseline, or gasoline to force the tick out.
When to see a doctor
See a healthcare provider if any of the following occur:
- The tick was attached for over 24 hours.
- Part of the tick remains in the skin.
- An expanding red rash develops 3 to 30 days after the bite.
- Flu-like symptoms like fever, headache, fatigue arise.
Getting medical attention promptly can help diagnose and treat any potential tick-borne diseases.
Diseases from tick bites
Ticks can transmit a variety of pathogenic bacteria, viruses, and parasites when they feed:
| Disease | Pathogen | Primary tick vector | Symptoms |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyme Disease | Borrelia burgdorferi bacterium | Blacklegged tick | Rash, fever, arthritis, fatigue |
| Anaplasmosis | Anaplasma phagocytophilum bacterium | Blacklegged tick | Fever, chills, headache |
| Babesiosis | Babesia parasite | Blacklegged tick | Fever, chills, muscle pain |
| Ehrlichiosis | Ehrlichia bacterium | Lone star tick | Fever, headache, muscle pain |
| Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever | Rickettsia rickettsii bacterium | American dog tick, others | Fever, rash, headache |
The risk of contracting one of these illnesses depends on the tick species, its infectivity, and how long it was attached. Prompt tick removal is crucial.
How ticks become infected
Ticks acquire infections from the animals that they feed on:
- Ticks pick up pathogens from reservoir hosts as larvae or nymphs.
- Common reservoirs include mice, squirrels, birds, and deer.
- The tick retains the infection through its life stages.
- The next host the tick feeds on may become infected.
Infected ticks cannot directly transmit pathogens to their eggs. However, some diseases like Lyme can be transmitted from an infected female to her offspring while still in the body. Larvae hatch already infected.
Can detached ticks reattach?
Once fully engorged and detached, a tick cannot feed anymore or reattach to another host. Their mouthparts become damaged during the detachment process, and they have no more motivation to seek blood.
However, larval and nymph ticks that were partially fed when detached may survive and eventually seek another blood meal. But partially fed ticks are much smaller than fully fed ones.
So while ticks will readily attach to hosts when seeking their first meal, detached engorged adults will not re-bite. Their life cycle forces them to stop feeding and focus on reproduction.
Tick bite prevention
You can take these key steps to prevent tick bites:
- Avoid areas with tall grass, brush, and leaf litter.
- Use EPA approved insect repellents.
- Wear light colored long pants and long sleeves.
- Tuck pants into socks and shirt into pants.
- Check yourself for ticks after being outdoors.
- Shower soon after coming inside.
- Talk to your vet about tick prevention products for pets.
- Keep patios, play areas, and lawns well-trimmed and clear of debris.
Performing daily tick checks and promptly removing any attached ticks remain your best defense. Tuck long hair into hats and wear closed shoes. Consider treating clothing and gear with permethrin. Stay on trails when hiking and avoid contact with overgrown vegetation.
Conclusion
When an engorged tick detaches from its host, it no longer poses much of a disease threat. The tick has finished its blood meal and will soon seek shelter to digest its food, mature, and lay eggs before dying. While you should carefully remove and dispose of any full tick found on yourself or your pets, take comfort in knowing it will not reattach or continue feeding. Be alert for any signs of illness following the bite, and speak with your healthcare provider if you have any concerns about possible tick-borne disease transmission. With prompt tick identification and removal, there is no need for undue worry.
