Questing is a tick's primary hunting strategy. They climb tall grass or low vegetation to ankle or knee height, anchor their back legs, and extend their front legs to snag any host that brushes past.
Ticks do not jump, fly, or drop from trees. They wait. That is why the height of grass matters so much and why tall grass is a great tick habitat that puts you at risk of being bitten.
When a tick is ready for a host, it will climb to a height where hosts are likely to pass. Then it simply waits. And it can do this for weeks on end.
Nymphs tend to quest low, in leaf litter and short vegetation. That’s why so many bites land on ankles and lower legs. Adults can climb higher, often to knee height when grass is tall enough. They detect carbon dioxide, body heat, vibration, and shadow, which alerts them to your presence so they can grab on as you pass.
Taller grass gives ticks more places to climb and gives them a better chance of contacting a person or dog. Tall grass also shades the ground beneath it so it holds more humidity, which is what they need to survive between hosts. Short, sunny, mowed lawn does the opposite and dries them out, which is why the middle of a maintained lawn holds very few ticks.
This is also why mowing grass is a really good way to help control ticks. Pay special attention to areas like the strip along the fence line or the edge where lawn meets the woods. Around southern New Hampshire, where blacklegged ticks carry Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, that unmowed edge is where most of a yard's ticks live.
If ticks are turning up along the edges of your lawn, Mosquito Squad of Southern New Hampshire can help. Mosquito Squad treats the tall grass and shaded edges where ticks wait for a host. This will help you protect your family with up to 90% reduction in pest activity on a recurring cycle.
