7A Ch14 Cheat Sheet: Ticks, Mites, Bedbugs & Lice

🎯 Top 5 Traps

1

Lyme disease transmission requires 10 to 12 HOURS of tick feeding. RMSF requires only 4 to 6 HOURS. If the tick is removed within these windows, infection will not occur. Critical for client communication: prompt detection and removal prevents disease. Schedule regular body inspections at noon and at bedtime when in tick habitat.

2

The brown dog tick does NOT bite humans and does NOT spread Lyme disease — its only host in the United States is dogs. Reassure clients — fear of Lyme disease can drive a desire for overkill. Larvae, nymphs, and adults all return to the dog to feed; they ignore humans. Up to 4,000 eggs per female; can wait more than 6 months without feeding. Most likely tick found indoors in fall/winter/spring.

3

Tick removal protocol: dab with ALCOHOL first, then tweezers at SKIN LEVEL with STEADY pull. Do NOT grasp by the back end or heat the tick — both force disease organisms into the wound. Place the removed tick in alcohol for identification. If mouthparts are left in the skin, they will NOT transmit disease, but treat the wound with antiseptic to prevent secondary infection. Note the date of removal to calculate symptom-onset timing.

4

NO PESTICIDE applications to rooms or objects for SCABIES MITES — treatment is ointments/creams prescribed by physicians, applied from the NECK DOWN to every member of the family. Scabies are transmitted only by DIRECT CONTACT. Bedding and underwear laundered. The itching sensation does NOT develop for a MONTH after initial infestation — takes 2-3 generations of mite secretions/excretions before sensitivity develops.

5

For IMAGINARY pest infestations, NEVER apply pesticides without real evidence — the three categories are ENTOMOPHOBIA, CONTAGIOUS HYSTERIA, and DELUSORY PARASITOSIS. Entomophobia = exaggerated fear of REAL insects. Contagious hysteria = GROUP imaginary infestation (workplaces). Delusory parasitosis = INDIVIDUAL imaginary infestation. For contagious hysteria, bring relative humidity to 65 percent — low humidity dries skin and increases static electricity, both mimicking crawling-insect sensations.

🔢 Numbers You Must Know

Number

What It Represents

10 to 12 hours

Time from start of tick feeding before LYME DISEASE transmission begins — critical removal window

4 to 6 hours

Time from start of American dog tick feeding before RMSF transmission begins — critical removal window

90 percent

Share of human Lyme disease cases caused by NYMPHAL deer tick feeding (the rest from adults)

2-year life cycle

Deer tick life cycle (utilizes 3 different hosts)

4 stages

Tick and mite life cycle: egg, larva (6 LEGS), nymph (8 legs), adult (8 legs)

4,000 eggs

Brown dog tick female egg deposition

More than 6,000 eggs

Lone star tick female egg production

Over 6 months

Brown dog tick survival without feeding

About 1 year

Bedbug survival without feeding when hosts are scarce

4 weeks

Bedbug maturation time when host blood, temperature, humidity, and harborage are favorable

1/4 inch

Adult bedbug length (dark reddish brown, oval, very flat)

1/8 inch

Adult head and body louse length (gray; same appearance and life cycle, different behavior)

1/4 inch

Maximum distance head louse nits are found from the scalp — anything farther has already hatched (empty shell remains)

About 1 month

Time from initial scabies infestation until itching sensation develops (delay due to required sensitivity buildup)

65 percent

Target relative humidity for resolving contagious hysteria — counters static-electricity effects that mimic crawling insects

🔀 Easily Confused

Pair / Group

Distinguishing Feature

Tick vs Mite

Both Acarina; both have single sack-like body with legs on sides. Tick: LARGER; HOLDFAST ORGAN with recurved teeth; sensory pit on each first-pair leg detects heat, CO2, light, vibrations. Mite: smaller; mouthparts form a tube for sucking plant/animal juices.

Hard tick vs Soft tick

Hard tick: free-roaming hosts — pets, cattle, wildlife, people; campers/hikers/hunters. Soft tick: hosts that return periodically to a nest, shelter, cave, coop. (One soft tick reportedly lived 11 years without feeding.)

Brown dog tick vs Disease-vector ticks

Brown dog tick: only host = dogs in US; does NOT bite humans; does NOT spread Lyme disease; uniformly dark red brown. Disease vectors: deer tick (Lyme), American dog tick (RMSF), lone star tick (RMSF, less important). Brown dog tick should be reassured about — fear of Lyme drives unnecessary treatment.

Lyme vs Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Lyme: SPIROCHETE bacterium; vector = deer tick (Ixodes); 10-12 hr feeding before transmission; rash = expanding ring with clear center (ECM) at bite site, ~7 days after transmission. RMSF: RICKETTSIA; vector = American dog tick; 4-6 hr feeding before transmission; rash on WRISTS AND ANKLES, 2-5 days after infection.

Deer tick vs American dog tick

Deer tick (Ixodes scapularis): adult ~ size of sesame seed; 2-year life cycle; 3 hosts; nymphs cause 90% of Lyme cases; white-footed mouse habitat; peak human infection in early July. American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis): larger; eastern, central US, Pacific coast vector of RMSF.

American dog tick vs Lone star tick

American dog tick: principal RMSF vector. Lone star tick: southeastern quarter of US; FEMALES brown with WHITE SPOT in center ("lone star"); ALL THREE STAGES attack humans; can transmit RMSF (less important); risk increases around large cattle and deer herds.

Scabies mite vs House dust mite vs Bird mite

Scabies (Sarcoptes scabiei): host-specific; fertilized females BURROW under skin to lay eggs; itching takes ~1 month to develop; treatment = ointments/creams (NO room pesticides). House dust mite (Dermataphagoides): cast skins + body parts cause ALLERGIC REACTIONS; vacuum + tannic acid on carpet. Bird mite: associated with bird nests; smaller than period; bird mite migration tied to bird species (e.g., starlings late May-June).

Bedbug vs Bat bug

Very similar appearance. Common bedbug: human host; in beds + bedside cracks. Bat bug: host = BAT; appears in rooms just below attics when bats migrate. Beware ENDANGERED BAT SPECIES when treating.

Head louse vs Body louse

Indistinguishable in appearance and life cycle but very different behavior. Head louse: lives in head hair; eggs (NITS) glued to hair shaft within 1/4 inch of scalp; mostly elementary school children. Body louse: harbors on CLOTHES (along seams); eggs deposited on CLOTHING (not body or head hair); transmits TYPHUS (historically); now rare in US (homeless, incapacitated individuals).

Body louse vs Head/Crab louse — disease

Body louse: TRANSMITS TYPHUS — historically epidemic in confined populations. Head louse and crab louse: do NOT transmit typhus. Critical for client communication: only body lice carry typhus.

Crab louse vs Head/Body louse

Crab louse (Phthirus pubis): only HALF the size of head/body lice; last 2 leg pairs end in HOOKED MITTS resembling crab claws; on coarse PUBIC HAIR + sometimes EYELASHES; transmitted by SEXUAL INTERCOURSE.

Entomophobia vs Contagious hysteria vs Delusory parasitosis

Entomophobia: fear of REAL insects (exaggerated, illogical). Contagious hysteria: GROUP imaginary infestation; office workforce; crowded conditions, overtime, boring tasks, changing climate; bring humidity to 65%. Delusory parasitosis: INDIVIDUAL imaginary infestation; emotional and sensitive; refer to medical diagnostician.

🦠 Tick Species Quick Reference

Species

Disease Vector / Life Cycle

Range / Key ID

Deer tick
Ixodes scapularis (east) / I. pacificus (west)

LYME DISEASE (spirochete). 10-12 hr feeding before transmission. 90% of human cases from NYMPHAL ticks. 2-year life cycle, 3 hosts.

Eastern + midwestern US (scapularis); West Coast (pacificus). Adult ~ size of SESAME SEED; nymphs ~ pin head; larvae ~ period. White-footed mouse habitat (woodland edges, bushy/grassy borders, deer habitat). Peak human infection in early July.

American dog tick
Dermacentor variabilis

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SPOTTED FEVER (rickettsia). 4-6 hr feeding before transmission. Principal RMSF vector after taking over from Rocky Mountain wood tick.

Eastern, central US, and Pacific coast. Adults found on dogs and humans (slightly over 1/8 inch).

Lone star tick
Amblyomma americanum

Can transmit RMSF (less important than Dermacentor). Females produce more than 6,000 eggs. All 3 stages attack humans.

Southeastern quarter of US (Texas to NJ). Females brown with WHITE SPOT in center ("lone star"); males mottled brown without spot. Risk increases around large cattle and deer herds. Larval ticks may infest hundreds at once when person sits on aggregation.

Brown dog tick
Rhipicephalus sanguineus

NO disease transmission to humans. NO human bite. Up to 4,000 eggs/female; can wait 6+ months without feeding. 1-4 generations/year.

Most URBAN of pest ticks; introduced worldwide on dogs. Only US host = DOGS. Adults ~ 1/8 inch, uniformly dark red brown. Indoors fall/winter/spring; outdoors year-round in southern US. Hides in cracks around dog sleeping areas.

🪳 Mites, Bedbugs, Lice & Imaginary Infestations

MITES

Species

Behavior / Symptoms

Control Approach

Scabies mite
Sarcoptes scabiei

Host-specific (dog scabies will NOT parasitize humans). Fertilized females BURROW into upper skin layer to lay eggs. Itching takes ~1 MONTH to develop. Direct-contact transmission only.

NO PESTICIDE to rooms or objects. Pesticide ointments/creams from physicians applied from NECK DOWN to every family member. Launder bedding and underwear.

House dust mite
Dermataphagoides spp.

Cast skins and body parts cause ALLERGIC REACTIONS (similar to grain mite allergies). More prevalent in high-humidity regions.

Vacuum INTENSELY. Spray carpet with TANNIC ACID solutions from carpet-cleaning suppliers.

Bird mite

Smaller than a period; rapidly moving; bites resemble small skin pricks. Migration tied to bird species (e.g., starling fledglings late May/early June in middle Atlantic).

Locate and REMOVE BIRD NESTS; screen/net nest areas; install inclined ramps to prevent attachment. Crack and crevice pesticide where mites may have entered. Wear rubber gloves.

BEDBUGS (Hemiptera, "true bugs")

Species

Biology

Control Approach

Common bedbug
Cimex lectularius

1/4 inch oval flat reddish-brown. Mature in 4 weeks; survive 1 year without hosts. NYMPHS feed on blood between molts. Do NOT transmit diseases. Bites nearly painless. Hide in beds, dressers, baseboards, behind pictures, under loose wallpaper.

NO TOLERABLE NUMBER. Crack and crevice with desiccating dusts or labeled insecticides. Treat furniture joints. Ensure mattresses dry + covered before use. Do NOT use space treatments or fogs (not effective). Exclude alternative hosts (rodents, birds).

Bat bug

Very similar to common bedbug. Host = BAT; wanders when bats migrate. Appears in rooms just below attics.

Locate infested bat nesting sites; dust AFTER bats and detritus removed. Beware ENDANGERED BAT SPECIES when treating.

HUMAN LICE (Anoplura)

Species

Habitat / Eggs

Control / Disease

Head louse
Pediculus capitus

1/8 in gray; in head hair of elementary school children (rarely adolescents/adults). Nits glued to hair shaft within 1/4 inch of scalp. ~100 eggs/female; 6-10 day hatch.

Lousicide preparations (over-the-counter or prescription). Wash bedding/hairbrushes/knit caps in HOT WATER. Vacuum surfaces; quarantine rugs 10 days. Treat all infested family members at same time. NO disease transmission.

Body louse
Pediculus humanus

SAME appearance as head louse, different behavior. Harbors on CLOTHES (seams); eggs on CLOTHING (NOT body/head hair). Engorges to purple distended abdomen.

TRANSMITS TYPHUS (historically epidemic). Wash clothing/bedding in hot water + detergent. Bathe to detach lice. Now rare in US — homeless, incapacitated individuals.

Crab/pubic louse
Phthirus pubis

HALF size of head/body lice. Last 2 leg pairs end in HOOKED MITTS resembling crab claws. On coarse PUBIC HAIR + sometimes EYELASHES.

Pubic louse preparations. Wash bedding and underwear. Detergents/disinfectants in toilets. Vacuum. Most common transmission = SEXUAL INTERCOURSE.

IMAGINARY PEST INFESTATIONS

💡 Memory Hooks

Disease transmission windows: "Lyme = ten to twelve; RMSF = four to six." Hours of feeding before infection — remove early to prevent disease.

Brown dog tick: "Dogs only — no humans, no Lyme." Reassure clients before treating.

Tick removal: "Alcohol, tweezers at the skin, steady pull — no twist, no burn." Twisting or heating forces disease organisms into the wound.

Scabies treatment scope: "Skin only — no rooms." Pesticide ointments from neck down to family; never spray rooms or objects.

Itch delay: "Scabies itch waits a month." Sensitivity takes 2-3 generations of mite secretions to develop.

Lice and disease: "Body louse = typhus. Head and crab lice = no disease." Only one species carries epidemic disease history.

Nit position: "Within 1/4 inch of the scalp = live; farther = empty shell." Distance from scalp tells you whether the nit has hatched.

Imaginary infestations: "No evidence, no pesticide. For groups, push humidity to 65 percent." Static electricity dries skin and mimics crawling.

Ch.14: Ticks, Mites, Bedbugs & Lice

🎯 Top 5 Traps

🔢 Numbers You Must Know

🔀 Easily Confused

🦠 Tick Species Quick Reference

🪳 Mites, Bedbugs, Lice & Imaginary Infestations

💡 Memory Hooks