A Backyard Encounter with a Lone Star Tick
A few weeks ago, while mowing the lawn with my old, barely-working mower, I noticed my golden retriever,
Mochi, lounging peacefully under our oak tree. That’s when I felt a strange tickle on my ankle.
Expecting a mosquito, I glanced down—only to find a tiny black dot clinging to my skin. It wasn’t
flying away. I carefully removed it and saw the telltale white spot: a lone star tick.
I can usually shrug off nature’s annoyances—mosquito bites, bee stings—but ticks? They terrify me.
Ticks carry serious diseases, and the lone star tick is especially notorious.
What makes this tick so troubling? Unlike others that wait for you to brush past, lone star ticks
actively hunt their hosts. Found mostly in grassy or wooded areas, they’re aggressive, fast-moving, and quick to latch on.
The female is identified by a white dot on her back—her “lone star.” But that’s where the charm ends.
These ticks can transmit illnesses like ehrlichiosis and may even trigger red meat allergies in some people.
Moral of the story? Keep an eye out in your own backyard. A tick may be small, but the consequences of ignoring one can be huge.