Fowl ticks are of concern because they will attack humans both in poultry houses and when they occasionally invade structures near poultry houses, and because they are vectors of avian spirochetosis in fowl. The first two soft bodied ticks, the Pigeon and Swallow ticks, are commonly known as “ Common Fowl ticks” and are one of the most important poultry parasites in the southern United States.
The family of ticks that makes up the Soft Bodied ticks ( Argasidae), contains nearly 200 species worldwide, however in the United States, there are really only a handful of somewhat common species: the Pigeon tick ( Argas reflexus) pictured right, the Swallow tick ( Argas cooleyi), and Relapsing Fever tick ( Omithodoros turicata).
