Before feeding, the female is about 1/8” long, orangeish-brown in color (her body becomes darker when engorged), the region behind her head is dark reddish brown, and her legs are much darker than her body. The male is smaller, about 1/16”, long and has a reddish-brown body overall. Both sexes exhibit a flattened profile from top to bottom. Nymphs and larvae resemble adults, except they are much smaller (0.7mm-1.8mm). Larvae only have six (6) legs. The deer tick feeds exclusively on the blood of mammals like humans, mice and deer. Ticks climb to the top of grasses and shrubs and wait for a passing host. They are concentrated in transitional areas such as where the forest meets a field, where a mowed lawn meets a natural area, grasses next to a trail, etc. They may also be found in the den or nest of its host. Deer Ticks are vectors of Lyme disease. Spirochete bacteria, injected into the host from the tick’s body, cause Lyme disease.