Ticks and Lyme disease Posted or Updated on 6 Mar 2024

Ticks are small, spider-like creatures which feed on the blood of birds and mammals, including humans.  Their size varies between 1mm to 1cm long and they have either six or eight legs.

They can be found anywhere there is wildlife, usually in woodland and moorland areas, and are particularly common between March and October.

In Scotland, the most common disease ticks transmit is Lyme disease (also known as Lyme borreliosis).