Ticks - The Little Squashable Vampires*

On Willow and my walk this morning I listened to a podcast on ticks. I never knew ticks lived such a charmed life. All they have to do is latch on some kind of creature as it walks by and just lie there and suck its blood. It doesn’t have to hit a time clock, doesn’t have to worry about meeting a production goal or anything.

There is only one problem. If you are a male tick, if you ever woo you a female tick first you feast and then you make love for your first and last time. You die just after you do your husbandry duty.

If you are a female you get to live a little longer, long enough to squirt out thousands of little eggs that look like a batch of caviar and then you die.

Then your offspring does the same thing you did. Hang onto a plant or something until a live body comes by and then latch on and such blood and then, have sex and die. It is vicious cycle. No TV, no music, no drinking with the boys on Tuesday night, nothing but suck blood. Borr-ring!

Surely some of them have wondered why they even exist. Some may have wondered just what is the meaning of life anyway?

However, sometimes you may have a little excitement. You are the biggest carrier of disease to past on to your host.

Also I found it interesting when ticks find a home in their saliva they release a substance that adheres them to the skin, in case they find themselves upside down they don’t have to worry about falling. Also, in their saliva they apply a chemical that thins the carriers blood so it won’t clot. Are they smart or what?

*The podcast recommended not to squeeze them or burn to remove them. They said with tweezers grip the head and pull it out.