Depending on the tick and environmental conditions, the life cycle of a tick can range from a few months to several years. Each free-living stage of a tick's life requires a blood meal in order to reach the next stage. Some species can survive for years without feeding.

EGG STAGE
Female ticks lay eggs in secluded areas where vegetation is dense and several inches high. Adult females of some tick species lay about 100 eggs at a time; others lay 3,000 to 6,000 eggs per batch. Regardless of species, tick eggs hatch in about two weeks.

LARVAL STAGE
After hatching, the larvae move into grass or shrubs in search of their first blood meal. If you or your pet passes by, they attach themselves and crawl upward in pursuit of an area of the skin that they can feed from. Then they drop off the host, back into the environment.

NYMPHAL STAGE
After finding their first blood meal, the larvae molt into the nymphal stage and begin searching for another host. Nymphs are small in size and often go undetected, increasing the chance for disease transmission.

ADULT STAGE
Once the nymph has had its blood meal, it molts into an adult. Adult female ticks feed on a host. In some cases, they will increase to 100 times their original weight while feeding. After feeding, the female will mate, fall off and lay her eggs in a secluded place – beginning the life cycle again.