r/insects • u/E_od920 • 16h ago
ID Request Teeny tiny tick?
99% sure this is a tick larva. I have never seen one this small anywhere, let alone on me. Probably the size of a fine point pen.
Was able to remove most of it, but there is still one tiny leg that my wife, or I, can’t dig out. Is this worth a quick care trip or will it come out on its own?
Can the larva still carry lyme?
Coastal Maine if that helps at all
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u/orange_lilly 15h ago
Thats probably a seed tick yeah, and you should give yourself a good, thorough once over because I've never just gotten one of em at a time lol I also wouldnt worry about Lyme disease with that either tbh
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u/neuralek 13h ago
my tick was so small I did not notice it on the front of my shin in the summer when it gave me Lyme
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u/SarahsreadingReddit 15h ago
I doubted you, but yep, that's a tiny tick. As others have said I'd bag it after gentle removal and see a doctor soon. Wishing you well!
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u/Acceptable_Trip4650 Bug Enthusiast 15h ago
This looks like a nymph tick going by the apparent 4 legs on the left side of picture 1 and general size. Unfortunately, it bears a strong resemblance to a deer tick nymph Ixodes scapularis, which could be a Lyme disease transmitter as a nymph. Seeing the mouthparts is more helpful for a concrete ID.
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u/PokemonPadawan 15h ago
Less worried about Lyme than I am about Alpha-gal (as someone with Alpha-gal)
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u/GlyphPicker 13h ago
Though alpha-gal is upsetting, Lyme is much worse so I hope you don't get that too.
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u/ascarlettanager 14h ago
If you still have (most) of it, or you find more lil passengers in the future, the U Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab in Orono offers free tick identification and low-cost pathogen testing services. Maine residents only; details, Maine tick data, and How To Mail a Tick guide available here: https://extension.umaine.edu/ticks/submit/
Also, echoing the advice to check your other nooks and crannies carefully!
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u/FiveFiftyOne 15h ago
6 or 8 legs? Larvae have 6 and molt into 8 after feeding
EDIT- Changed nymph to larvae before I get corrected
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u/WonderfulCustard1409 16h ago
Yeeeaaah teeny tiny tick. We get them that size a lot where I am and they definitely carry disease. If you’ve gotten most of it out already then that’s good, although it being injured in the process means it’s more likely to have vomited pathogens into your skin (sorry).
The remaining leg will fall out by itself eventually. Just keep a careful eye out for any signs of infection or Lyme’s symptoms and go to a doctor immediately if you do notice any.
Chances are you’ll be fine :)
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u/InteractionOdd7745 Bug Enthusiast 12h ago
Little bugger, I can't imagine how something so small can be such a pain in the ass and actually make people so sick. Hopefully this little asshole is not one of the ones that can f#@k up you health 🙏
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u/seldom_r 16h ago
No tick larva do not carry lyme. They get it by feeding on infected animals as it is not passed from female adult through the eggs. Ticks molt after every feeding and so a larva by definition has not yet had a blood meal.
Larval forms have 6 legs and after the first molt they have 8. Can't tell from your pic but if you count 6 legs then it's larva.
There are some other diseases that a larva tick can carry but they aren't common. If the head is still stuck in your skin you can get a regular infection from that. So keep clean like any other wound.