The question of whether ticks can survive in water is a common concern, especially after spending time outdoors or finding one on a pet or family member. Ticks are resilient, and their ability to withstand submersion in water is important for properly handling and disposing of them to minimize health risks.
How Ticks Endure Submersion
Ticks are air-breathing creatures with an adaptation for surviving underwater. They close their respiratory openings, known as spiracles, to prevent water from entering their bodies. Some ticks also use a feature called a plastron, a thin layer of air trapped by specialized hairs on their body that can extract dissolved oxygen from the surrounding water.
These mechanisms allow ticks to remain alive while fully submerged for 24 to 72 hours. While effective for survival, ticks are not aquatic and cannot swim. If you see a tick in water, it may move its legs but lacks the ability to propel itself, simply trying to find a surface to climb onto.
Ticks and Household Water Sources
Many people wonder if household water sources can eliminate ticks. A shower or bath is not a reliable method for removing an attached tick because their barbed mouthparts hold them firmly in place. While a loose tick might get rinsed away, it is likely to survive its trip down the drain.
Flushing a tick down the toilet or sink is also not a guaranteed disposal method. Given their ability to survive in water for days, a flushed tick could endure the journey through the pipes and potentially crawl back out.
A standard washing machine cycle will not kill ticks on clothing, as most wash cycles with cold or warm water are insufficient. The most effective way to eliminate ticks from clothing is to use high heat. Placing garments in a clothes dryer on high heat for at least 10-15 minutes is a reliable method for killing any ticks before washing the items.
Risk of Ticks in Lakes and Pools
Ticks are terrestrial arthropods that live and hunt on land, not in water. You will not find them actively living or seeking hosts within a lake, pond, or swimming pool. The primary risk of encountering ticks is in the environments surrounding these bodies of water, such as tall grass, brushy areas, and wooded shorelines.
It is possible for a tick to fall from a branch or already be on a person or pet before they enter the water. In such a case, the tick would likely survive the swim, but the chances of it attaching to a host while in the water are extremely low. A chlorinated swimming pool is inhospitable to ticks, though the chlorine is not an instant kill method.