Ticks are small arachnids that feed on the blood of mammals, birds, and occasionally reptiles and amphibians. They are external parasites, living by feeding on the blood of their hosts. Ticks locate potential hosts by climbing on vegetation and waiting for a suitable animal or human to brush against them. Once on a host, ticks crawl around looking for places with thin skin in which to insert their feeding tube. Ticks can transmit serious infectious diseases, so it’s important to understand how to avoid ticks and safely remove them if they become attached.
How ticks locate hosts
Ticks find hosts by a behavior called “questing.” Questing ticks crawl up the stems of grass or perch on the edges of leaves on the ground and wait for a potential host to brush against them. When questing, ticks hold onto vegetation with their third and fourth pairs of legs while stretching out their first pair of legs in search of a host. Ticks sense carbon dioxide, vibrations, heat, and other chemical cues emitted by potential hosts. When a host brushes against them, ticks quickly grab onto the host with their front legs and climb on. Some ticks will attach quickly while others may wander on the host for up to several hours before settling down to feed.
Once on a host, ticks will crawl to find an optimal spot to attach and feed. They prefer locations where skin is thinner and blood vessels are closer to the surface, allowing them to insert their feeding tube more easily. Common tick attachment sites on humans include the groin, armpits, behind the knees, and along the waistline and hairline. On animals, ticks often attach around the ears, neck, shoulders, and chest. Ticks secrete a glue-like substance to anchor themselves firmly to the host while they feed.
Do ticks attract to certain colors?
There is no definitive evidence that ticks are attracted to or repelled by specific colors. Ticks locate hosts through sensing body heat, carbon dioxide, vibrations, and chemical odors, not by vision. Some research has investigated if wearing light versus dark clothing affects tick attachment rates, with mixed results:
- A 1984 study found no significant difference in tick attachment rates between people wearing light- and dark-colored clothing in tick-infested areas.
- A 1990 study reported slightly higher tick attachment rates on white clothing compared to red clothing.
- A 1996 study found no correlation between clothing color and tick density.
- A 2007 study reported higher tick densities on white and khaki clothing than on dark blue, dark green, and red clothing.
Overall, study results are inconclusive in determining if ticks are attracted to particular colors. Any observed differences may be attributed to the ability to spot ticks more easily on light versus dark clothing, rather than actual color preference. Current advice is to wear light-colored clothing with long sleeves and pants when in tick habitats to spot ticks more readily.
Do ticks see colors or are they colorblind?
Ticks have poor vision and are considered functionally colorblind. Their eyes can detect changes in light intensity and movement, but ticks do not see detailed shapes, colors, or images. A tick’s eyes are optimized for perceiving potential hosts that move within their vicinity, not for recognizing colors or patterns. While ticks have photoreceptor cells and may have some capacity to detect UV light, they rely mainly on other senses like smell, touch, and vibration to find hosts to feed on.
Do certain colors repel ticks?
There is limited scientific evidence that specific colors actually repel ticks. Some natural tick repellents are derived from plants like lemon eucalyptus, citronella, and peppermint, which give off strong scents that help mask human odors. Since ticks locate hosts primarily through smell, these strong herbal scents may provide some repellent effects. However, simply wearing these colors or scents will not guarantee tick protection.
A 2005 study tested different colored cloths and found ticks avoided cloths soaked in essential oils like peppermint, which produced a strong minty odor unappealing to ticks. However, it was the potent scent, not the green color of peppermint, that altered tick behavior. There is no evidence ticks have an innate aversion to the color green or other specific colors.
DEET and permethrin are the most effective synthetic tick repellents recommended by the CDC. Repellent clothing pre-treated with permethrin is readily available. The permethrin provides lasting repellent activity through multiple washes, not the clothing’s color.
Do ticks have color vision?
No, ticks do not have color vision or the ability to see detailed images. Ticks have poor eyesight overall and rely much more heavily on other senses like smell, touch, and vibration detection to find potential hosts to feed on. A tick’s eyes can detect changes in light intensity, which helps guide their directional movements to stay oriented toward light and climb upward toward passing hosts. But ticks are considered functionally colorblind.
Ticks have four pairs of simple eyes that can detect gradients of light. Their eyes likely only differentiate between light and dark rather than discern colors or form images. While ticks have photosensitive cells and may sense some ultraviolet light, they do not use vision or color to track or identify hosts. Instead, they rely on sensing temperature, odors, carbon dioxide, moisture, vibrations, and other chemical cues to locate suitable hosts to feed on.
How to choose clothing colors to avoid tick bites
Since ticks locate hosts primarily through scent rather than vision, clothing color choices offer limited protection against tick bites. However, wearing proper clothing can create barriers against tick contact. Recommendations include:
- Wear light-colored clothing to easily spot any ticks crawling on you.
- Wear long sleeves and pants to cover exposed skin.
- Tuck pants into socks to keep ticks on shoes and off your legs.
- Consider wearing permethrin-treated clothing to repel and kill ticks.
- Avoid heavily perfumed products that may actually attract tick attention.
- Perform frequent tick checks when in tick habitats.
Rather than focusing on color, emphasize dressing appropriately to minimize skin exposure when in tick-prone areas. Use EPA-registered insect repellent on any exposed skin. Check your clothing and body thoroughly for ticks after being outdoors. Prompt tick removal within 24 hours greatly reduces the chances of contracting a tick-borne disease.
What colors do ticks see?
Ticks have very poor vision and are considered functionally colorblind. While ticks have photoreceptor cells and can distinguish some gradients of light, they do not possess color vision or the ability to see detailed images. Ticks see minimal colors and rely heavily on other senses like smell, vibration, heat, and touch to find hosts to feed on.
Research suggests ticks may be able to detect some wavelengths of ultraviolet (UV) light. They also likely differentiate between light and dark, helping them climb toward light and quest for hosts from vegetation tips. However, they cannot discern shapes, objects, or colors the way humans and many other animals can. Ticks essentially rely on senses other than sight to hunt hosts and feed.
Do ticks prefer warm or cool colors?
Ticks do not have color preferences or vision sufficient to differentiate warm versus cool colors. However, they can detect heat and are drawn toward warmer temperatures consistent with mammalian body heat. Some key facts about ticks and temperature include:
- Ticks cannot regulate their own body temperature and rely on external sources of heat.
- They are attracted to the warmth emanating from mammalian hosts which helps them identify sources for their next blood meal.
- Ticks quest for hosts more actively when temperatures are above 45°F.
- They prefer warm areas like the groin, armpits, and hairlines with thin skin to attach and feed.
- Cold winter temperatures can temporarily chase ticks deeper into forest beds and burrows.
So while ticks do seek warmth, they do so by sensing infrared heat signatures and temperature gradients rather than by recognizing colors. Cooler fall and winter weather provides some relief from peak tick activity levels during warmer spring and summer months.
Do ticks see in black and white or color?
Ticks do not see in the same manner as humans or many other animals. They have very simple eyes and cannot distinguish colors or form detailed images. Research suggests ticks likely see the world in a simplified grayscale rather than in color.
Key facts about tick vision:
- They have poor vision overall and rely on other senses to find hosts.
- Their eyes can detect light/dark contrasts but not shapes, objects, or colors.
- Ticks have photoreceptor cells and may perceive some UV light.
- They can distinguish light from dark, helping guide directional movement.
- But they are considered essentially colorblind.
So while ticks may differentiate between areas of light and shadow, they do not have sophisticated vision or color perception abilities. Their sensory focus is on detecting smells, carbon dioxide, heat, moisture, vibrations, and other chemical signals released by potential hosts.
Conclusion
In summary, there is no strong scientific evidence that ticks are attracted to or repelled by specific colors. Ticks rely heavily on scent and vibration sensing rather than vision to locate potential hosts to feed on. Wearing light colored clothing can help spot ticks more easily before they attach and bite. But clothing color itself does not seem to attract or deter tick attachment. Since ticks have very poor eyesight and limited color perception, choices in color offer minimal protection against tick bites. Focus instead on completely covering exposed skin, using repellents, and performing thorough tick checks when spending time outdoors.
| Color | Evidence of Attraction | Evidence of Repellence |
|---|---|---|
| White | Mixed evidence – some studies found higher tick density on white clothing | No evidence |
| Light colors | No evidence, easier to spot ticks | No evidence |
| Dark colors | No evidence, harder to spot ticks | Mixed evidence – some studies found lower tick density on dark clothing |
| Khaki | One study found higher tick density compared to other colors | No evidence |
| Blue | No evidence | One study found lower tick density compared to khaki and white clothing |
| Green | No evidence | Green scents may help repel ticks |
| Red | One study found lower tick density compared to white clothing | No evidence |
