The brown dog tick, or wood tick, feeds mostly on dogs and rarely on humans. It is found across the globe and is the only species of tick that can live its entire life indoors, allowing it to live in colder climates or through the winter.
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Three Stages
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Once an egg hatches, a brown dog tick develops through three stages---larva, nymph and adult, according to the website of the University of Florida entomology department.
Larva
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Brown dog ticks require three separate meals to complete development. A larva will feed on a host for three to seven days and then molt, according to the University of Florida.
Nymph
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Larvae take two weeks to develop into nymphs. As nymphs, they feed for five to 10 days and then molt. They take two weeks to develop into adults, according to the University of Florida.
Adult
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Adult males feed only for short periods of time, but females feed for about a week before dropping off to lay as many as 5,000 eggs over a 15-day period, according to the University of Florida.
Considerations
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Brown dog ticks can live two to three months between cycles if no host is found and will feed on humans if no dogs are around, according to the University of Florida.
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