EGGS: A female tick lays thousands of eggs in protected, moist spots, often under leaves.

LARVA: A tiny, six-legged baby tick hatches, usually in the summer. It finds a small host, like a mouse, for its first meal.

PUPA: The larva turns into a "teenager" with eight legs, about the size of a poppy seed. They are very small and active in spring and summer.

ADULT: The nymph turns into a full-grown adult, about the size of a sesame seed. Adults feed on larger animals (like deer) or people, mate, and lay eggs.