Where do people who enter endemic areas often encounter *Ixodes pacificus* ticks waiting for a host?
Answer
Brush or leaf litter
When humans venture into areas where Western Blacklegged Ticks are endemic, the ticks are typically found waiting for a host in specific low-lying vegetation environments. These ticks employ a questing behavior, positioning themselves in environments such as dense brush or accumulated leaf litter, where they wait for a passing mammal to brush against them. This habitat preference is linked to the typical hosts they target in their questing stages (nymphs and adults). By waiting near the ground level in these sheltered, moist environments, they optimize their chances of encountering suitable hosts, including large incidental hosts like humans passing through these transitional zones.
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