What is an engorged tick?

An engorged tick is a tick that has become swollen after feeding on the blood of a host (such as a human, dog, or deer). Here's what happens:

1. Ticks attach to a host using their mouthparts and feed on blood.

2. During feeding, which can last several days, the tick's body gradually swells as it fills with blood.

3. Once fully fed, the tick becomes significantly larger, often ballooning to several times its original size. This swollen state is what’s referred to as engorged.

Key characteristics of an engorged tick:

- Size: It can range from a few millimeters to over 1 cm, depending on the species and how long it’s fed.

- Color: Often changes to a grayish, bluish, or brownish color.

- Shape: Rounded and bloated appearance, compared to the flat, seed-like shape of an unfed tick.

What an engorged tick looks like:

Why it matters:

Disease transmission risk increases the longer a tick remains attached. For example, Lyme disease is more likely to be transmitted after 36–48 hours of attachment. Proper removal is important to avoid leaving parts of the tick embedded in the skin and to reduce infection risk.

If you or a pet has an engorged tick attached, here's how to remove it!

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What is an engorged tick?

Key characteristics of an engorged tick:

What an engorged tick looks like:

Why it matters: