Do you ever feel like you’re a tick magnet? Do you seem to attract ticks every time you cut the grass or take a walk in the woods? Or, perhaps, you’re one of the lucky ones who rarely finds a tick on your clothes or skin.

Why does it seem like ticks gravitate towards some people but not others? Do ticks have preferences? Actually yes, they do! There is scientific evidence that ticks prefer certain blood types (and certain species) over others.

What Blood Type Are Ticks Attracted To?

Ticks are highly attuned to body heat, sweat, and exhaled CO2. Their senses are sharp enough to detect differences in scent and it appears they may even prefer certain human victims over others.

Research out of the Czech Republic indicates that Ixodes ricinus ticks are more likely to be attracted to those with type A blood and least interested in those with type B. Types O and AB fall somewhere in the middle.

Little research has been published on American ticks, so it’s too soon to tell if these results apply to the deer ticks, dog ticks, and lone star ticks that live on Long Island. That said, tick behavior is fairly consistent across species… and there’s no harm in being cautious if you may be at higher risk for tick bites.

Are Ticks Repelled by a Blood Type?

While research indicates some ticks have a preference for type A blood, they aren’t repelled by other blood types. You may not be their first choice, but you still need to take precautions to avoid tick encounters and bites.

Avoid tick infested areas if possible and, when you venture out, wear protective clothing and use an approved tick repellent. Upon returning home, carefully check yourself, your children, and your pets for ticks – promptly removing any you find.

Do Ticks Prefer Human Blood?

Ticks tend to gravitate toward animals or show no meaningful preference between humans and other species… but that may be changing. The science is still evolving, but a recent study suggests that some ticks prefer human hosts under certain weather conditions.

In these experiments, American dog ticks (a species found on Long Island) chose a human host over a canine host more than twice as frequently when temperatures soared. The reasons for this are still unclear, but it suggests that a warming climate may lead to more frequent transmission of tick-borne diseases to humans.

East End Tick Control® Protects Long Island Families from Tick Threats

No matter your blood type, if you live on Long Island then you are at risk of tick encounters and tick-borne illness. Protect yourself and your family year-round with East End Tick and Mosquito Control®. We have eliminated tick threats for over 25 years and look forward to working with you and earning your trust. Contact us online for a free estimate, or call (631) 287-9700 in Southampton; (631) 324-9700 in East Hampton, or (631) 765-9700 in Southold.