Do ticks actually serve any purpose in nature?

[RustyPine17]

I've been wondering if ticks have any redeeming qualities or if they're just pure nuisances. Anyone know if they play any important role in the ecosystem, or are they just here to annoy us?

 

[Morgan101]

I've been wondering if ticks have any redeeming qualities or if they're just pure nuisances. Anyone know if they play any important role in the ecosystem, or are they just here to annoy us?

I would put mosquitoes in the same category, so if we are asking about ticks, let's ask about mosquitoes as well.

To answer the original question, ticks have no redeeming value of which I am aware.

 

[wvpv]

Bird, reptile and opossum (allegedly) food.

 

[cowpoke]

Not sure about their original purpose but it's rather vexxing that our gov has turned them into disease spreading bioweapons….

 

[Bobcat]

Ticks feed turkeys and mosquitoes feed bats, I don't like either of them. Chiggers I hate with a passion and they seem to be worthless for anything.

 

[OzarkScott]

A 12 gauge pump is hard to beat. Mossberg or Remington 870 are my favorites. Lots of good used 2 3/4" chambered guns available for a good price. I like a short barrel for home defense, I keep a slug barrel with iron sights on my home defense gun. Recoil, muzzle flash and sound is bad, but you can get reduced recoil shells that help with that. It helps to shoot some cardboard at different distances so you know how your preferred ammo spreads. Can also take deer with slugs or varmints with shotshells.

 

[Crookedcreek]

A 12 gauge pump is hard to beat. Mossberg or Remington 870 are my favorites. Lots of good used 2 3/4" chambered guns available for a good price. I like a short barrel for home defense, I keep a slug barrel with iron sights on my home defense gun. Recoil, muzzle flash and sound is bad, but you can get reduced recoil shells that help with that. It helps to shoot some cardboard at different distances so you know how your preferred ammo spreads. Can also take deer with slugs or varmints with shotshells.

HUH??
Back to the subject! Were it not for ticks, Brad Paisley would have one fewer #1 hits to nis credit!

 

[OzarkScott]

HUH??
Back to the subject! Were it not for ticks, Brad Paisley would have one fewer #1 hits to nis credit!

Oops, I replied to the wrong post

 

[Crookedcreek]

Chiggers I hate with a passion and they seem to be worthless for anything.

I think ticks eat them!