What’s a Tick? Ticks are part of the arachnid family, which also includes mites, spiders, and scorpions. A tick attaches itself to the skin of an animal and sucks blood. There are hundreds of kinds of ticks on the planet, and they can be found almost everywhere. The two types of ticks that many people talk …
What’s a Tarantula? A tarantula is a hairy spider that is part of the arachnid family, which also includes mites, ticks, and scorpions. Tarantulas are found all over the world and can grow up to 5 inches long, but those found in the United States are usually about 2 to 3 inches long (about the length of …
What’s a Scorpion? A scorpion is part of the arachnid family, which also includes mites, ticks, and spiders. Scorpions are about 3 inches long (about the length of a crayon), with eight legs and a small pair of claws that look like crabs’ claws. A scorpion’s stinger is at the end of its long tail. There …
What’s a Mosquito? A mosquito (say: mus-KEE-toe) is an insect that is found all over the world. There are thousands of different kinds of mosquitoes in many different sizes and colors. The female mosquito needs blood from vertebrates (animals that have a spine) to lay eggs and produce more mosquitoes. She has a special part …
What’s a Louse? A louse is a parasite (say: PAR-uh-site), which means it feeds off of other living things. Lice (the word for more than one louse) are about the size of a sesame seed, and are tan to gray in color. Lice need to suck a tiny bit of blood to survive, and they sometimes live …
What’s a Gnat? A gnat (say: NAT) is one of a family of insects that includes flies and mosquitoes. Gnats are actually tiny flies and are sometimes called blackflies or midges. Gnats are found anyplace in the world where there is a river or stream because they lay their eggs in watery places. Some species …
What’s a Flea? A flea is a small (no bigger than the head of a pin) brown bug with a hard shell. Fleas have tiny claws at the ends of their legs to help them attach to people or other warm-blooded animals and drink their blood. If you have a dog or cat, chances are …
What’s a Fire Ant? There are many different types of fire ants, and they are found throughout the southeastern and southwestern United States. The most common and aggressive kind is the red imported fire ant, which is reddish-brown and about 1/8-inch long (about half the size of a pencil eraser). Red imported fire ants live …
What’s a Chigger? Chiggers are tiny (most can only be seen with a magnifying glass) and red, and they are a type of mite. Mites aren’t insects — they are arachnids and part of the same family as spiders, scorpions, and ticks. Chiggers are found all over the place, including in grassy fields, along lakes and streams, and …
What’s a Brown Recluse Spider? The brown recluse spider is one of the few venomous spiders found in the United States (venom is a type of poison). It is part of the arachnid family, which includes not just spiders, but ticks, mites, and scorpions, too. It has long, skinny legs and is about ½ to 1 inch long …
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