Have you heard that ticks can fall out of trees onto people and pets that are unsuspecting? Believe it or not, this is actually a very common misconception that has been spread.
Do ticks live in pine trees? Ticks do not live in pine trees although they can occasionally be found in them. If you happen to find a tick near or on a pine tree, it was most likely transported there by a bird, squirrel, or other animals.
Now that we know they don’t actually live in those trees, you can read on to learn more about where ticks live and how they get attached to their hosts.
What Kind Of Trees Do Ticks Live In?
Ticks have not been found to live in any type of tree because they need high humidity to live and live close to their preferred hosts. Most ticks will be found lower towards the ground where their natural hosts will be located.
Some common locations that ticks can be found:
- Overgrown grass
- Brush
- Bushes
- Low-lying vegetation
- Branches
The reason ticks are found in the above places and not in trees is because the animals that they attach to stay down on the ground. Ticks can’t move far by themselves so they will only move to wherever their host goes.
These animals stay lower to the ground and are common hosts of ticks:
- Dogs
- Mice
- Skunks
- Raccoons
Do Ticks Fall From Trees?
If there does happen to be a tick higher up in trees, they don’t have the ability to jump, fly, or hop from a tree to another location. Ticks are able to stay near the ground level and crawl up onto a new host over time.
Now, you might be wondering why ticks are so commonly found on the neck or in hair if they are unable to fall from trees.
The only way ticks will be on the head is if they’ve successfully climbed up the body to get there.
That’s why it’s important to always stay alert and check your ankles and legs because that is the most likely location that you’ll find a tick on your body.
Why Are Ticks So Common On The Ground?
Upon hatching, the insect needs to feed on a host on a regular basis in order to survive. They will have better odds finding a host on the ground rather than in a tree and, as a result, are not likely to make the difficult journey up the tree only to wait countless hours for a bird to potentially swoop by.
It is crucial to keep in mind that ticks do not have the ability to fly, jump, or crawl at a quick pace.
When ticks are crawling, it is usually done alongside the body of their host in an attempt to locate the perfect spot to latch on for a meal. This means that if you happen to find a tick in your hair, it is seriously unlikely that it has fallen from a tree.
With that being said, ticks actually feed on a wide multitude of animals that primarily live in trees. In addition, once a feeding session has been completed, a fully grown tick will then go on to mate and the female tick will opt to remove herself from the host’s body to lay her eggs safely on the ground.
These two scenarios simply highlight the fact that it is not out of the question for a tick to fall from an animal that was perched within a tree and go on to fall on any animal or human that happens to be underfoot.
How Else Could I Have Gotten A Tick?
It is more likely that you have picked up a tick in a more traditional manner. This would be by walking through overgrown grass, brush, or any other low-lying vegetation during the seasons of spring or summer.
It is most likely to occur during the previously mentioned seasons due to the fact that the time frame is considered to be a high tick season in many regions across the United States. The majority of tick varieties locate their hosts by using their rear legs to grasp single blades of grass whilst making sure that their front legs are stretched out.
This particular move is known as “questing”. This move is important as it will allow the tick to very easily grab on to their host as it walks by.
However, it is important to note that ticks do not reside solely in high grass, but can also be found in grass that is shorter and even on the sidewalk. This means that it is crucial to check your surroundings at all times while outdoors to make certain that you are not coming in contact with one of these potentially harmful insects.
