Lone star ticks are parasites that feed on blood. They have four developmental stages: egg, six-legged larva (or “seed tick”), nymph, and adult. They are considered a “three-host tick” because they attach to different animal hosts at each active developmental stage. Larvae and nymphs feed and then molt to the next stage. The ticks can survive for months or even years without feeding, and the life cycle is roughly two years. Adult males die shortly after mating. After consuming a final meal, females lay 3,000 to 8,000 eggs before dying.