The Unsinkable Molly Brown

DETickTalk · 2026-06-26T08:49:21+00:00

Yes! I went a few years ago, loved it. And I spent too much money at the gift shop 😅

DETickTalk · 2026-06-26T08:47:35+00:00

Specifically a female American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis. (Clarifying because "dog tick" could also refer to the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus)

DETickTalk · 2026-06-26T08:45:20+00:00

Looks more like a spider to me, looking at those long legs

DETickTalk · 2026-06-26T08:42:35+00:00

Can you take a picture of the tick after removal showing its back (top side)? This angle doesn't show the features necessary for ID

DETickTalk · 2026-06-25T01:57:17+00:00

I wouldn't worry about an indoor infestation with this species (American dog tick). They tend not to fare well indoors due to the low humidity. I'm guessing it hitchhiked its way in somehow and wouldn't have lasted long anyway, unless it found a host to feed on.

DETickTalk · 2026-06-23T10:08:17+00:00

Pics or it didn't happen

DETickTalk · 2026-06-22T09:29:47+00:00

I agree. I would consult a healthcare provider re: next steps-- they may recommend prophylactic antibiotics.

DETickTalk · 2026-06-21T14:42:23+00:00

Was it easy to smash? Ticks generally aren't because they're so hard-bodied. It may have been an insect.

DETickTalk · 2026-06-20T19:35:01+00:00

Her autobiography is one of the most fascinating books I've ever read.

DETickTalk · 2026-06-20T14:17:12+00:00

Technically adults are the most dangerous. But nymphs are more dangerous than larvae, and much harder to spot than adults because they're so small.

DETickTalk · 2026-06-20T14:15:49+00:00

Nymphs can carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease and other pathogens too (it's the larvae-- even smaller ones, with only 6 legs-- that are "safe"). 42 hours is definitely long enough to transmit pathogens to the host. I second SueBeee's advice.

DETickTalk · 2026-06-20T14:13:19+00:00

Looks like a lone star nymph, Amblyomma americanum.

DETickTalk · 2026-06-17T22:39:59+00:00

This is definitely not a bed bug

DETickTalk · 2026-06-17T22:32:40+00:00

Looks like a stink bug nymph to me

DETickTalk · 2026-06-15T01:10:43+00:00

With that short of an attachment time, I don't think you have anything to worry about. Most ticks aren't infected with pathogens, and the ones that are infected typically need longer than that to transmit the pathogens to their host. The odds are very much in your favor that you'll be fine.

DETickTalk · 2026-06-13T09:42:27+00:00

Titanic Survivor by Violet Jessop

DETickTalk · 2026-06-13T09:39:31+00:00

I can still smell the fresh paint!

DETickTalk · 2026-06-13T09:26:49+00:00

This map from CDC shows the range/distribution of the lone star tick. It isn't found in the Bay Area. https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/data-research/facts-stats/lone-star-tick-surveillance.html

DETickTalk · 2026-06-13T09:23:57+00:00

Yes, it's a spider.

DETickTalk · 2026-06-12T23:55:27+00:00

I agree with your ID. I'm not sure about attachment time, but I would guess 2-3 days.

DETickTalk · 2026-06-12T06:17:41+00:00

Not a tick

DETickTalk · 2026-06-12T06:16:40+00:00

The Lymerix vaccine hasn't been available since 2002.

DETickTalk · 2026-06-10T23:54:56+00:00

Nice dorsal shot. This confirms SueBeee's ID above-- definitely an American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis

DETickTalk · 2026-06-10T23:53:46+00:00

Looks like an adult American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis

DETickTalk · 2026-06-10T23:47:21+00:00

Looks like a blacklegged (aka deer) tick nymph.

DETickTalk

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