Major Concerns: Transmitting diseases like relapsing fever, Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

Ticks are often thought of as a type of insect, but are really more closely related to spiders, scorpions, and mites. In the broadest sense they can be divided into hard and soft ticks, and both are capable of serving as disease vectors. But the hard shelled deer tick is the best known in the United States largely because they spread Lyme Disease across the country.

Lyme Disease is the most common tick-borne disease in the United States. The disease is serious and hikers and campers need to be aware of the symptoms after spending time outdoors. Ticks also carry (or cause) diseases such as Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, encephalitis, and tick paralysis.