Ticks lay their eggs outdoors, usually on top of the soil or grass near trails or areas where deer and other animals frequently roam. The female tick deposits a sticky cluster of tiny eggs on the ground, often nestled on soil or attached to blades of grass or leaves, then abandons them without any further care
. The egg mass is small, about the size of a quarter, with each egg roughly the size of a period
. Occasionally, if a female tick is brought inside a house by a pet, she may lay her eggs indoors in hidden, undisturbed places such as cracks under and behind baseboards, behind moldings around windows and doors, edges of carpets, curtains, or other soft, protected areas like furniture or clothing pockets
. However, indoor tick nests are rare and difficult to find due to the small size of the eggs and their tendency to be laid in concealed locations. In summary:
- Outdoors: Eggs are laid on soil, grass, leaves, or near animal trails.
- Indoors (rare): Eggs may be laid in cracks, behind baseboards, carpet edges, curtains, or soft furniture if a tick is brought inside.
Ticks do not tend to stay with or protect their eggs after laying them
