2 MISC. IM'UI.ICATION 2, 1'. S, OKPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



These tiny seed ticks were very liiin«j:ry. They wanted to get 

 some hlood from a cow or steer or calf. Hlood is the only food they 

 can eat. 



The hun^a-y l)al)y ticks crawled to the tips of the iJ:riiss and to the 

 tops of weeds and hushes. They waited there for an animal to 

 pass by. This j)i(tiire sh(»w> the hahy ticks on the grass lying in 

 wait for a cow or calf oi- steei-. 



("■iittle-fpviT 8<'«'d 

 ticks on Krass 



A cow walked slowly by the .-pot wheie the little ticks were hiding. 



The ticks smeiled blood and ^ot ready to jiet on the cow. 



Many of the seed tick's were able to <;et on hei- tail or her neck 

 or her le<:s. 



Every baby tick on the c(nv began to hunt for a thin place in her 

 hide. 



As soon as each tick had found a tender spot, it began to bury its 

 head in the hide. It was digging a tiny well to the blood in the cow. 



Here are seed ticks driving their little wells to the blood in the 

 cow : 



Cattle-fever 8e«'d ticks 

 on skin of cow 



AVhen the l)abv ticks got their first taste of blood, they began to 

 suck blood as fast as they could. Every day they grew a little 

 largei". 'F'li(>v sucke(l bloo(l and grew for about a week. Then they 

 shed their skins, which is called molting, and Ijecame little eight- 

 legged ticks. 



