Ticks are small arachnids that can be divided into hard and soft-bodied species. The most commonly seen in the UK are:

• Ixodes ricinus – the sheep tick or castor bean tick, often associated with sheep or deer, but commonly found on dogs and in boarding kennels
• I hexagonus – the hedgehog tick
• I canisuga – the fox or badger tick.

Numbers of Rhipicephalus sanguineus (brown dog tick) are also increasing. Other species found in the UK include Dermacentor spp and Haemaphysalis spp.^2,3

A tick life-cycle passes from egg to larvae (described as looking like specks of soot), to nymph to adult. Fleas can make their home in the fur or feathers of host animals, but ticks are more likely only to attach to the host (which does not need to be warm-blooded) for a few days to feed before dropping off when ‘full’ of blood.

Ticks do not jump or fly, but can walk towards hosts if they detect their presence, or latch onto a passing animal using hooks on their legs. Ticks feed only once in each stage from larva to adult, over a life span of potentially two years; they tend to feed on smaller animals (such as rodents, rabbits or birds) as larvae or nymphs, and larger animals when adult.

Colour (eg, black, red or beige) and size varies with species, but adult females can typically be 3mm when unfed and 1cm engorged (males are slightly smaller).