Yes, ticks will often latch onto birds. It’s a well-documented way that tick populations start in new places.
When you think about ticks, you probably don’t think about them flying. But they can, at least when they’re lucky enough to be latched onto birds. It’s strange, but it’s true: migratory birds can pick up ticks and drop them off in new places. And that lets ticks get a foothold in places where they wouldn’t otherwise.
Here's how it works. An immature tick, a larva or nymph, latches onto a ground-feeding or migrating bird to take its blood meal. If that bird then travels, during seasonal migration, for instance, the attached tick goes along for the entire trip. When the tick finishes feeding, it drops off wherever the bird happens to be, potentially very far from where it started. If conditions are right, the tick can find hosts and even one dropped tick can be the seed of a brand new population.
Ticks move all the time into regions or cities that previously had few or no ticks. This is part of why tick range has been expanding the way it has. Birds can carry ticks that are already infected with pathogens, which lets them import diseases like Lyme disease along with ticks. Researchers studying tick spread often point to birds as a significant force behind the geographic expansion of both.
If you want to make this specific to Chicago, consider this: migrating birds are common around Lake Michigan. These birds pass through Chicago and pause in the region's parks, preserves, and green spaces. And off fall the ticks. Yes, right in the middle of Chicago.
For you, this means to be aware of ticks. Even areas that “never used to have ticks” can develop populations. When you go outside in wooded or grassy areas, it’s often a good idea to wear tick repellents and check for ticks after you go back inside.
If you're tired of ticks turning up in places they never used to, Mosquito Squad of Chicago can help. Mosquito Squad treats the vegetated zones where ticks hide. This can help you to protect your family with an up to 90% reduction in pest activity on a recurring 21-day cycle.
