Life-cycle explainerWorldwide

How does a tick moult?

After feeding, an immature tick digests its meal and later sheds its outer covering as it develops from larva to nymph or from nymph to adult.

Reviewed by VuxLore® Knowledge Team For Everyone

Short answer

After feeding, an immature tick digests its meal and later sheds its outer covering as it develops from larva to nymph or from nymph to adult.

At a glance

Moulting happens away from the host. The timing varies with species and environmental conditions, so one fixed timetable cannot describe every tick.

Key takeaways

• Larvae moult into nymphs.

• Nymphs moult into adults.

• A suitable blood meal is normally needed before development continues.

Growth requires a new outer covering

Like other arthropods, a tick has an external skeleton that cannot simply stretch through every stage of development. Moulting allows the body to take on the next life-stage form.

Development is not instant

Temperature, moisture, species and whether a suitable host was found all influence the life cycle. That is why tick development may take years rather than following a universal calendar.