Cat Flea
Cat fleas are brownish-black to black, small, wingless insects that average 1/12” to 1/6” long. They have long powerful legs that permit the to jump as high as 8” vertically and as far as 16” horizontally. Flea eggs are smooth, rounded, light-colored eggs are about 1/50” in diameter.
American Dog Tick
Adult American Dog Ticks prefer dogs as their host, but will also feed on other large animals while the larvae and nymphs feed virtually exclusively on small, wild rodents. Newly hatched larvae are yellow with red markings near the eyes. Nymphs are similar in appearance to larvae but have four pairs of legs instead of three pairs. Adults are generally brown, but become slate gray when engorged.
Lone Star Tick
Lone star tick females are easily identified by the white dot in the center of the back. Males often have dots or white streaks on the edge of their bodies. Adult lone star ticks get to be about 1/4” in length and 3/8” in length when swelled with blood.
Rocky Mountain Tick
The Rocky Mountain Wood Tick is encountered throughout the Rocky Mountain region, where it is the principle vector for Rocky Mountain spotted fever and commonly involved with cases of tick paralysis. Larvae and nymphs are generally found on small wild rodents and the adults on larger animals. This species of ticks are common for campers and other vacationers in areas within its normal range.
Chigger
Chiggers are larvae of the common harvest mites, which are harmless to people in the adult stage. They are extremely small and are generally not visible to the naked eye unless they are fully engorged with blood. Eggs are laid in soil and after hatching the larvae wander about until a suitable host is found. They usually inhibit areas where grass or weeds are overgrown and they may swarm over a host that comes in contact with the vegetation.
Mosquito
Mosquitos are found in the tropics to the arctic regions. Mosquito larvae and pupae live in stagnant water. The larvae (aka wrigglers) live in water, but they must either surface for air or obtain it from underwater portions of plants. The pupal stage lasts from a day to a few weeks and when ready to hatch, the pupa rises to the surface and the pupal skin splits and the adult works it’s way out. The adult female is the only stage that feeds on blood. The mouthparts of the adult male are not suitable for blood-sucking.
