In the United States, there are two families of ticks: Ixodidae (hard ticks) and Argasidae. (soft ticks). Only a fraction of the world's 200 species of soft ticks and 700 species of hard ticks are known to bite people and spread disease.
Both hard ticks and soft ticks go through distinct life cycles, enlarging and altering their appearance as they progress.
Strong Ticks (Ixodidae)
An adult female hard tick (Ixodidae) lays an egg, which develops into a hard tick. The larva that develops after the egg hatches must then locate and feed on a tiny mammal or bird. (host). After eating, it leaves the host and falls to the ground, where it molts and becomes a nymph.