ASHLEY PRYTHERCH
Photograph of a tick burrowing its feeding parts into the skin of the photographer's own leg. Ticks are related to mites and spiders, and at least 20 species live across the UK. They like humid conditions and can be found in wooded areas, tall grasses, urban parks, fields and at the edges of lawns or meadows. Ticks feed on the blood of other animals. If a tick picks up an infection from the blood of an animal it is feeding on, it can pass that infection on to the next animal or human it bites. Examples of diseases spread to humans in this way include Lyme disease, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. This tick is approximately 2.5 mm long.