Moose Ticks

Warning: Be prepared to be grossed out.The main culprit in the moose decline is the winter tick, which unlike other ticks, is active in winter. In the fall the larval winter ticks mass on vegetation a few feet from the ground, Alexander said.

“If a moose walks by, the ticks on the end of the cluster grab on to it and they’re all grabbed on to each other so this huge glob of winter tick larvae, which are the size of a grain of sand come onto the moose and then they spread out. Moose usually have 30,000 to 100,000 ticks on them,” he said.

The ticks gorge on the moose’s blood, weakening the animal. The itching can also cause hair loss, which makes moose more vulnerable. The ticks drop off in April to reproduce and by then they’re the size of grapes, Alexander said. Two pictures with hair show the nymph or seed tick. The big ones are engorged female. Engorged with blood.