The ticks are brownish red and 3.2mm in size. They live on the ground or in wood waiting for the host animal (dog, cat) in order to attach to it. They feed on blood. When fed, they change color and become blue-gray.

Adult females, once attached to an animal and fed, if they find a second tick in the same body to mate, lay about 10,000 eggs that hatch depending on the conditions from 3 weeks to months later. Dog ticks at appropriate temperatures live for about 2 months.

In Europe, tick-borne diseases are many and can be severe: Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, rickettsioses, babesiosis, viral crotonogenic encephalitis. The transmission of pathogens from infected ticks usually occurs from mid-spring to autumn and may end up in humans accidentally.

Pest control is done by spraying.