Bat Ticks

2026 Editor's Note: The bat tick, scientifically known as Carios kelleyi, is a soft tick that primarily inhabits bat roosts and is routinely found in houses and buildings that are infested with bats. Unlike hard ticks, these parasites are capable of living for years in the absence of a host and may wander into human living spaces if their bat hosts abandon a roost. While they are not known to transmit Lyme disease, they are intermittent feeders taking a blood meal several times a month and will bite humans if bats are unavailable. (Ed: GG 2026-08-11)