Why do Ticks want to drink your blood?

Summary

Podcast Summary: Who Smarted? – Episode: "Why do Ticks want to drink your blood?"

Release Date: July 28, 2025

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Introduction

In the engaging and educational episode titled "Why do Ticks want to drink your blood?" from the podcast "Who Smarted?", hosted by Atomic Entertainment and Starglow Media, young listeners embark on an adventure into the world of ticks. This episode seamlessly blends humor, storytelling, and scientific facts to captivate curious minds, making complex topics accessible and entertaining for children, parents, and educators alike.

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Meeting the Tick

The episode kicks off with the Trusty Narrator taking listeners on a nature hike. At [00:03], the narrator shares excitement about finding various insects like ladybugs and crickets. However, the discovery of a tiny creature—a tick—introduces an element of caution:

• Trusty Narrator (00:21): "I definitely don't want to bring this one home. Smarty pants, what's a tiny creature you find in the woods that you're best avoiding? Is it A, a firefly, B, a butterfly, or C, a tick?"

Upon correctly identifying the tick, the narrator humorously refers to ticks as “nature's vampires” to highlight their blood-feeding behavior.

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Understanding Ticks as Parasites

The Talking Tick chimes in, defending its existence:

• Talking Tick (00:39): "Yeah, what's wrong with me?"
• Trusty Narrator (00:41): "No offense, talking tick, but you're like nature's vampires."

The narrator clarifies that ticks are parasites—organisms that survive by living on or in a host and deriving nutrients at the host's expense:

• Trusty Narrator (01:12): "There's a word for a creature who survives by living on or in another creature called a host and deriving nutrients at the host's expense. This word starts with the letter P. Any guesses what it is? Is it a paragraph, A paralegal or a parasite? The answer is parasite."

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Diving into Tick Biology

The episode delves deeper into the biology of ticks, starting with their species diversity:

• Trusty Narrator (03:20): "How many different species of ticks do you think there are? Are there 250, 550 or 850?"
• Talking Tick (03:29): "There might be 850 species, but there's really only two. Hard ticks and soft ticks."

Key Differences Between Hard and Soft Ticks:

• Hard Ticks: Possess a shiny back called a scutum and have mouthparts that protrude to latch onto hosts. They feed until full and then shed their skin.

  • Talking Tick (03:48): "Me, I'm a hard tick, so my back has a covering called a scutum."

• Soft Ticks: Have a soft, round exoskeleton with mouthparts hidden under their bodies. They are generally less persistent feeders.

Anatomical Features:

• Legs: Adult ticks have eight legs, similar to spiders.

  • Trusty Narrator (05:41): "If you said eight legs, you're right. That's because ticks are just like spiders."

• Mouthparts: Ticks use chelicerae (fang-like structures) to pierce the skin of their hosts.

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Lifecycle of Ticks

Ticks undergo several developmental stages, each requiring a blood meal:

1. Larvae: Hatch with six legs and feed on small hosts like rodents and birds.
2. Nymphs: Develop into eight-legged individuals, feeding on larger hosts such as squirrels and rabbits.
3. Adults: Mature ticks feed on even larger hosts, including cows, deer, and humans.

• Talking Tick (06:20): "Ticks aren't born with eight legs. When a female tick lays thousands of eggs, larvae with only six legs hatch out. It's not until we grow into nymphs... that we have eight legs."

Feeding Behavior:

• Ticks quest by climbing vegetation and waiting for a host to brush past.

  • Talking Tick (10:27): "Questing is the word used to describe ticks searching for food."

• After feeding, ticks swell significantly and drop off to digest, remaining dormant until needing another meal.

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Ticks and Their Hosts

Ticks are opportunistic feeders, targeting a variety of hosts based on their life stage:

• Larvae: Small rodents, birds, reptiles.

• Nymphs: Squirrels, birds, rabbits.

• Adults: Cows, elk, dogs, sheep, deer, humans.

• Trusty Narrator (08:00): "Are there specific animals that you prefer as hosts?"

• Talking Tick (08:03): "Absolutely. Tick larva... And adult ticks. Oh, we love feeding on cows, elk, dogs, sheep, deer, and even humans."

Association with Deer:

• Trusty Narrator (08:40): "Ticks are often associated with deer."
• Talking Tick (08:44): "Deer are one of our favorite and most plentiful food sources. If there's lots of deer around, you can be sure there's also lots of ticks."

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The Threat of Lyme Disease

A significant portion of the episode focuses on Lyme disease, a serious illness transmitted through tick bites:

• Trusty Narrator (12:52): "Do you know why ticks are so dangerous to humans? The answer right after this quick break."

• Talking Tick (12:58): "Oh, that. Yeah, that's not good, smarty pants."

• Trusty Narrator (13:18): "Lyme disease can affect your skin, your joints, and your nervous system. Symptoms can include fevers, headaches, fatigue, and a skin rash."

Prevention and Treatment:

• Preventive Measures:

  • Wear long pants and boots.
  • Use insect repellent.
  • Perform tick checks after being outdoors.

• Removal:

  • Use tweezers to remove ticks.
  • Wash the area with soap and water.
  • Apply antiseptic.

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Protection Against Ticks

Practical advice is provided to help listeners protect themselves from tick bites:

• Clothing: Dressing appropriately when in wooded or grassy areas.

  • Talking Tick (13:47): "If you're gonna be in the woods, always wear long pants and boots."

• Repellents: Using effective insect repellents to deter ticks.

• Tick Checks: Regularly inspecting the body for ticks after outdoor activities.

• Safe Removal: Guiding on how to safely remove ticks to prevent infection.

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Ticks’ Predators and Survival

While ticks are adept parasites, they have their own set of predators:

• Natural Predators:

  • Red-billed oxpeckers
  • Wasps
  • Spiders

• Trusty Narrator (10:55): "What animals would possibly want to eat a tick?"

• Talking Tick (10:59): "Birds like the red billed oxpecker love eating ticks. Also wasps and spiders."

Sensory Mechanisms:

Ticks rely on senses other than sight to locate hosts:

• Trusty Narrator (15:30): "How do you crawl around and find a host if you can't see it?"
• Talking Tick (15:30): "We have other senses that help us find our hosts. Our first pair of legs, access sensors. To find heat and carbon dioxide."

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Historical Perspective on Ticks

The episode highlights the evolutionary longevity of ticks:

• Trusty Narrator (14:35): "How long do you think ticks have been around?"

• Talking Tick (14:35): "450 million years."

• Context: Ticks have been around longer than other common parasites like mites (380 million years) and bed bugs (325 million years).

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Conclusion and Final Thoughts

The episode concludes with the Trusty Narrator and the Talking Tick wrapping up their discussion, reinforcing the importance of understanding ticks and protecting oneself from their dangers. The narrator extends gratitude to listeners and encourages sharing the podcast with friends and family.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Trusty Narrator (00:41): "No offense, talking tick, but you're like nature's vampires."

• Talking Tick (01:12): "Parasite."

• Trusty Narrator (03:20): "Are there 250, 550 or 850 [tick species]?"

• Talking Tick (03:48): "I'm a hard tick, so my back has a covering called a scutum."

• Trusty Narrator (05:41): "If you said eight legs, you're right. That's because ticks are just like spiders."

• Talking Tick (06:20): "It's not until we grow into nymphs... that we have eight legs."

• Trusty Narrator (08:03): "If there's lots of deer around, you can be sure there's also lots of ticks."

• Trusty Narrator (13:18): "Lyme disease can affect your skin, your joints, and your nervous system."

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Production Credits

• Written by: Sarah Sweetek
• Voices: Adam Tix Davis, Charlotte Creepy Crawly Cohn, Jerry Colbert
• Technical Direction and Sound Design: Josh Host Hahn
• Associate Producer: Max Questing Kamasky
• Theme Song: Brian Spidey Sense Suarez (Lyrics by Adam Tex Davis)
• Produced by: Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colber
• Recorded and Mixed at: Relic Room Studios
• Production Company: Atomic Entertainment

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Final Thoughts

"Who Smarted?" successfully transforms complex scientific topics into entertaining and digestible content for young audiences. This episode on ticks not only educates listeners about the biology and behavior of these arachnids but also emphasizes the importance of preventive measures against tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease. Through interactive segments, humorous dialogues, and engaging storytelling, the podcast fosters a love for learning and curiosity about the natural world.

Transcript

[Trusty Narrator]

Hey, smarty pants. Right now I'm taking a nature hike in the woods. I'm also looking for bugs, beetles, and insects to bring home and study. So far I've got a ladybug, a cricket, and. Ooh, what's this tiny little thing?

[Talking Tick]

Yikes.

[Trusty Narrator]

I definitely don't want to bring this one home. Smarty pants, what's a tiny creature you find in the woods that you're best avoiding? Is it A, a firefly, B, a butterfly, or C, a tick? If you said a tick, you're right. But why wouldn't I want to hang out with a tick?

[Talking Tick]

Yeah, what's wrong with me?

[Trusty Narrator]

Um, no offense, talking tick, but you're like nature's vampires.

[Talking Tick]

What are you saying? I sleep in a coffin? I only come out at night and can't see my reflection in a mirror?

[Trusty Narrator]

No, I mean you like to drink blood.

[Talking Tick]

Oh, that right. Hey, I gotta do what I gotta do to survive. But I'm definitely not a vampire.

[Trusty Narrator]

Nope, you're worse. Because unlike vampires, you're real smarty pants. There's a word for a creature who survives by living on or in another creature called a host and deriving nutrients at the host's expense. This word starts with the letter P. Any guesses what it is? Is it a paragraph, A paralegal or a parasite? The answer is parasite. Of course, some adults listening might also accept paralegal, but I digress. Ticks are parasites that live off the blood of other living creatures, like me.

[Talking Tick]

I would totally live off of you, trusty narrator.

[Trusty Narrator]

Backing away slowly. But before I run away, I'm curious. How do ticks drink your blood? How many kinds of ticks are there? And what can happen if you get bit by a tick?

[Talking Tick]

Come a little closer, I'll show you.

[Trusty Narrator]

Backing away slowly. It's time for another whiff of science.

[Talking Tick]

On who smarted, who's smarted, who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up, everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. But who's smarted?

[Trusty Narrator]

Hi, smarty pants. It's the trusty narrator, the host of who's Smarted. First, a big welcome to all our new listeners. Welcome to the smarty family. Here's a nice five star review from one of you. Hi, Trusty. This is my new favorite podcast. I listen in the car with my sister, and even before bed, I'm telling all my friends too. Sean P. Ohio. Thanks, Sean. And that's a great idea. So, smarty fam, would you mind doing me a favor? Tell one friend or another parent or an educator today about whosmarted. Because the only thing that's better than listening to whosmarted is listening to who smarted with a friend. So I'm here in the forest with a talking tick and I'm wondering, how do ticks find food?

[Talking Tick]

We usually wait for an animal to pass by and then when the animal brushes past us, we grab hold and dig in.

[Trusty Narrator]

Wow, that sounds disgusting. Smarty pants, how many different species of ticks do you think there are? Are there 250, 550 or 850? If you said 850, you're right. 850 different kinds of ticks. That's a lot of ticks.

[Talking Tick]

There might be 850 species, but there's really only two. Hard ticks and soft ticks. Soft ticks get their name from their soft round exterior or exoskeleton. Me, I'm a hard tick, so my back has a covering called a scutum.

[Trusty Narrator]

I gotta say, it's pretty shiny.

[Talking Tick]

Thanks. Also, my head or capitulum sticks out in the front. That's where my mouthparts are. Including my two fang like charouselae that I use to make a hole in the skin so I can eat. Soft ticks usually have their mouthparts under their bodies. Also, hard ticks like me, we feed until we're full, then we leave our host in order to shed our skin.

[Trusty Narrator]

Does shedding your skin hurt?

[Talking Tick]

Nah. When we shed our skin, also known as molting, we're shedding an exoskeleton we've outgrown. You wouldn't want to wear the same shirt you wore when you were two, would you?

[Trusty Narrator]

Nope. I notice you have some hook like claws at the end of your hairy legs. Smarty pants. What does a tick need claws for? Is it to A, grab and hang on to prey, B walk quietly or C open doors? Fortunately, ticks cannot open doors.

[Talking Tick]

The answer is A, my claws give me a strong grip to hold onto my prey. They're perfect for grabbing onto plant stems and animal hairs. Like most parasites, ticks are well adapted to their hosts. Even if our hosts aren't so psyched to have us.

[Trusty Narrator]

Speaking of your legs, how many legs does an adult tick have, Smarty pants? Four, Six or eight? If you said eight legs, you're right. That's because ticks are just like spiders.

[Spider]

Like me.

[Trusty Narrator]

Hey, aren't you the spider from our spiders episode?

[Spider]

Oh, hey trusty, thanks again for stopping that girl from squishing me.

[Trusty Narrator]

My pleasure. But wait, what do ticks have to do with spiders.

[Spider]

Ticks are arachnids and part of the arachnida family. Just like spiders, mites, and scorpions.

[Talking Tick]

Here I am.

[Spider]

Both spiders and adult ticks have eight legs, while also lacking antennae and wings.

[Talking Tick]

FYI, ticks aren't born with eight legs. When a female tick lays thousands of eggs, larvae with only six legs hatch out. It's not until we grow into nymphs, which is like a tick's teenage years, that we have eight legs.

[Trusty Narrator]

Wow, smarty pants. Could you imagine waking up as a teenager to find you've suddenly grown two extra legs? That would be tricky to find pants.

[Talking Tick]

Since we can't fly, ticks rely on our legs to crawl everywhere. After a tick hatches, it crawls up a blade of grass twig or plant stem and waits for an animal to pass by. Then it's dinner. Larvae feed off their hosts for two to four days.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smarty pants, besides food, AKA blood from a host animal or human, what else do ticks need to survive? Is it A, high humidity, B, low temperatures, or C, pizza?

[Talking Tick]

Nom, nom, nom, nom, nom.

[Trusty Narrator]

The answer is A. Ticks need high humidity to survive. Its trusty narrators who need pizza to survive.

[Talking Tick]

Tick eggs tend to hatch in the spring, and summer is a tick's favorite season. Because it's humid and there's lots of animals, AKA meals around, we tend to live in wooded areas.

[Trusty Narrator]

Are there specific animals that you prefer as hosts?

[Talking Tick]

Absolutely. Tick larva, or babies feed on small rodents, birds and reptiles. Nymphs feed on squirrels, birds, or rabbits. And adult ticks. Oh, we love feeding on cows, elk, dogs, sheep, deer, and even humans backing away slowly.

[Trusty Narrator]

Speaking of deer, I've noticed that ticks are often associated with deer.

[Talking Tick]

That's because, dear narrator, deer are one of our favorite and most plentiful food sources. If there's lots of deer around, you can be sure there's also lots of ticks.

[Trusty Narrator]

And then you just latch on, make a hole with your special mouthparts and enjoy a nice blood meal for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

[Talking Tick]

Actually, while humans typically have three meals a day, ticks only have three blood meals in our lifespan.

[Trusty Narrator]

Whoa, wait. Did you just say ticks only have three meals in their entire lives?

[Talking Tick]

Yep. Ticks only live for about two years. We need to have one blood meal for each stage in our life cycle. One as a larva, one as a nymph, and one as an adult.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smarty pants, can you imagine having only three meals in your entire life? What would you pick?

[Talking Tick]

Nom nom nom, nom, nom.

[Trusty Narrator]

Talking tick. How can you survive on just three meals?

[Talking Tick]

Well, after we ticks gorge on blood from a host, we swell up. Our bodies actually get 20 to 50 times bigger. In fact, we get so filled up, our legs no longer touch our host. This causes us to drop off the host's body so we can just sit and digest. We can spend nearly our entire lives waiting for a host to feed on. And we can survive with no food at all for a very long time.

[Trusty Narrator]

I see. Is there a trick to finding food?

[Talking Tick]

Oh yeah. Ticks are usually questing where a lot of animals are questing.

[Trusty Narrator]

That sounds like what heroic knights in armor do.

[Talking Tick]

Questing is the word used to describe ticks searching for food. If there's lots of animals where we're questing, there's a better chance of split snagging a host. But like I said, we can wait a long time. As long as no predators come.

[Trusty Narrator]

I thought you were the predators. What animals would possibly want to eat a tick?

[Talking Tick]

Birds like the red billed oxpecker love eating ticks. Also wasps and spiders.

[Spider]

It's an arachnid eat arachnid world out there.

[Trusty Narrator]

Okay, so there are definitely dangers out there for ticks, but for humans, there is definitely danger from ticks. Smartypants, do you know why ticks are so dangerous to humans? The answer right after this quick break. Hey, smartypants. Trusty here. What if your watch could call your parents, text your friends, play games, and still help you ace the school day? Say hi to Pinwheel, the smartwatch that's built just for kids. Whether you're walking to school, riding your bike, or hanging out with friends, Pinwheel lets you stay in touch with the people that you care about and blocks everyone else. No junk, no spam, just the good stuff. You can pick your favorite color band, play fun games, and even chat with a super cool kid. Safe AI if your grownups turn it on. And when it's time to focus, your watch knows. Thanks to custom schedules that your parents set right now you can get awesome deals on watches for back to school, plus free shipping and returns. Check it out at pinwheel.com smarted that's P-I N W H E-E-L.com smarted and gear up with the coolest watch made just for you. Now back to who smarted. I'm here with a talking tick to find out what makes ticks tick. But I know not to get too close because ticks are parasites that feed off of other creatures. Like trusty narrators.

[Talking Tick]

Oh, come on. You have lots of blood. You can spare a little for a teeny tiny tick.

[Trusty Narrator]

It's not the blood loss I'm worried about, talking tick. It's something else. Smarty pants. Do you know what it is? Is it lemon disease, Lyme disease, or melon disease? If you said Lyme disease, nice job.

[Talking Tick]

Oh, that. Yeah, that's not good, smarty pants.

[Trusty Narrator]

The reason it's so important to protect yourself against ticks is that they carry the bacteria for Lyme disease. Once Lyme disease has been passed on by the tick, it can affect your skin, your joints, and your nervous system. Symptoms can include fevers, headaches, fatigue, and a skin rash. People with Lyme disease should see a doctor for treatment, which may include antibiotics. Of course, the best way to avoid Lyme disease is to protect yourself from ticks. But how?

[Talking Tick]

Although this goes against my best interests, here are some ways to avoid ticks. First, if you're gonna be in the woods, always wear long pants and boots. Spraying yourself with insect repellent is also a great idea.

[Trusty Narrator]

Of course, being so small a tick might still get you. If you've been bitten by a tick, you'll probably notice a red circle on your body with alternating white and red circles around it. It kind of looks like a bullseye or the symbol for the store target. But what if you actually find a tick on you for that, you're going.

[Talking Tick]

To want to have an adult help you remove the tick with tweezers. After the tick is removed, wash the spot with soap and water and apply an antiseptic.

[Trusty Narrator]

Humans and other creatures have been trying to avoid ticks for a long time. But how long do you think ticks have been around? Have they been here for A, 350 million years, B, 400 million million years, or C 450 million years? If you said C 450 million years, you're right.

[Talking Tick]

Scientists have found fossilized evidence that ticks are older than our fellow parasites. Mites, who have been here for 380 million years, and bed bugs, who've only been here for 325 million years. Ah, they're all newbies compared to us.

[Trusty Narrator]

I had no idea that ticks have been around that long. That's around the time prehistoric sharks were swimming. One last thing. I couldn't help but notice that you have no eyes. How do you crawl around and find a host if you can't see it?

[Talking Tick]

While ticks may not have eyes, we have other senses that help us find our hosts. Our first pair of legs, access sensors. To find heat and carbon dioxide. When our sensors pick up these signals, we know a host is coming. Ooh, I sense a deer coming. Trusty narrator, I might need you to leave so you don't scare it away.

[Trusty Narrator]

Backing away slowly. A big aloha shout out to Brody in Kaneohe, Hawaii. You said you and your family learn so much from whosmarted and that is exactly what we love to hear. Thanks for smarting with us Brody. This episode Tix was written by Sarah Sweetek and voiced by Adam Tix Davis, Charlotte Creepy Crawly Cohn and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Host Hahn who's Smart. It is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios. Our associate producer is Max Questing Kamasky. The theme song is by Brian Spidey Sense Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colber. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.

[Talking Tick]

Too Smart Ed.