On p. 62 of PMP’s April issue, our Pest Spotlight focused on ticks. The species we covered on the page were what are included in detail in the Truman’s Scientific Guide to Pest Management Operations.
However, Dr. Gerry Wegner, former technical director of Columbus, Ohio-based Varment Guard Environmental Services, whose retirement in sunny Florida is occasionally interrupted with emails from this editor looking for technical clarification, has suggested four more tick species that are important and often-encountered by pest management professionals:
Hard ticks (Family: Ixodidae)
- lone star tick (Amblyomma americanum), also known as the northeastern water tick
- eastern blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis), also known as the deer tick or bear tick
- western blacklegged tick (I. pacificus)
Soft ticks (Family: Argasidae)
- bat tick (Carios [formerly Ornithodoros] kelleyi)
Always generous with his vast entomological information, Dr. Wegner also shared this tick comparison image, prepared by acarologist Dr. Glen Needham (retired) of The Ohio State University.
Now it’s your turn. In addition to the species Dr. Wegner named above and those that appeared in our April issue — brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus), American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis), Rocky Mountain wood tick (D. andersoni), groundhog tick (Ixodes cookei), common fowl tick (Argas radiatus), and the relapsing fever tick (Ornithodoros turicata) — are there any that you’re encountering this season that are making you break out the identification guides? Sound off below, or email us at pmpeditor@northcoastmedia.net.
About the Author
Heather Gooch is the editor-in-chief for PMP magazine. She can be reached at hgooch@northcoastmedia.net or 330-321-9754.
Leave A Comment