KINGDOM: Animalia | PHYLUM: Arthropoda | CLASS: Arachnida | ORDER: Acari (mites)

Like all arachnids, mites and ticks have 4 pairs of legs, pincer-like mouthparts called "chelicerae," 2 antennae-like appendages near the mouth called "pedipalps," and no antennae.  Although all arachnids have 2 main body segments (cephalothorax and abdomen), on mites and ticks the segments are fused and appear to be 1 large segment.  Like spiders and most other arachnids, adult mites have 8 legs, while some immature stages have 6 legs.

Okay, So What is a Tick?
A tick is a type of mite: the word "tick" is used to describe large, parasitic mite species that attach themselves to hosts for several days at a time.

Like all arachnids, mite and ticks have incomplete metamorphosis. Young ticks and mites hatch from eggs and resemble tiny adults, although newborn immature stages have 6 legs instead of 8.  They shed their skins as they grow.

Although they are not noticed as often as some of their arthropod relatives, mites are very common and occur in many different kinds of habitats.  The most common kinds of mites live in soil and feed on debris.  Other kinds feed on plants, and some are predators.  There are many mite species that are fully aquatic.  

Many common species of mites are parasitic, living off the blood and tissues of larger animals.  There are parasitic mites that live on just about any kind of animal imaginable, everything from fish to insects.  Chiggers are a well-known type of parasitic mite that sometimes attacks humans.  Ticks are types of mites, and all ticks are parasites.

There are a number of serious mite and tick pests.  Spider mites, clover mites, and red mites damage crops and decorative plants.  Many tick species transmit diseases to animals and humans, and some mites are pests of honey bee hives.  Common pest mites and ticks are shown in the "common mites" section below.

Read more about mite pests in these University of Kentucky Department of Entomology ENTFacts:
  Managing Tracheal Mites in Honey Bees
  Wheat Streak Mosaic Virus and the Wheat Curl Mite
  European Red Mites
  Two-Spotted Spider Mites
  Cyclamen Mites in Greenhouses
  Spider Mites on Landscape Plants
  Clover Mites
  Parasitic Mites of Humans

Also check out our tick ENTFact:
  Ticks & Diseases

MITES

Although mites are everywhere, most are too small to see.  However, there are few kinds that are fairly large and frequently encountered in Kentucky.  

Pictured below left is the Two-Spotted Spider Mite, Tetranychus urticae, a common pest on a variety of plants.  On the right is a red velvet mite, a predator.  These large (1-3 mm), bright red mites are sometimes seen crawling on trees (below).  Young velvet mites are parasites on insects, and the adults are predatory on small arthropods.

We also have a number of aquatic mites that are common in Kentucky streams.  Some of the aquatic mites are also relatively large and bright red.  Most aquatic mites are either predators or parasites of aquatic insects, and they are very good swimmers.

Many small mites can be collected quickly using "Berlese Funnels." Click here to see how to make a Berlese funnel to collect mites and other arthropods that live in soil and leaf litter.  Finding most other kinds of mites requires luck and patience, and searching in the correct habitats.  Because mites are small, photography can be a challenge.  Make sure you have plenty of light and a macro lens.  Mites and ticks should be preserved in alcohol.

Mites are sometimes blamed for itches and bites that they are not actually responsible for.  Occasionally, people who work in office buildings begin to notice rashes or itchy spots that seem to have no explanation.  These irritations resemble bites and the cause is often assumed to be some sort of mite, probably because mites can be incredibly small and can live in the strangest of places, and do sometimes bite people.  Often though, the real culprit is insulation, paper shreds, or other contaminants spread through the building ventilation systems.

Chigger bites are sometimes mistaken for the bites of bed bugs.  The confusion may occur because the symptoms of a chigger attack develop hours after the bite - many times when the victim is in bed!  Bed bugs bites have very different symptoms, however.  Read more about bed bugs in ENTfact 636 - Bed Bugs.  And read about other strange itches caused (and not caused) by arthropods in our Invisible Itches ENTFact.

Many of the methods recommended to remove ticks are not effective. Petroleum jelly , matches, nail polish remover - none of these things are useful for tick removal.  Be sure to read our factsheet on Ticks and Diseases for the best ways to deal with ticks.