Ticks can live without a host for highly variable lengths of time depending on their species, life stage, and environmental conditions.

• Some ticks may survive as little as 24 hours without a host, but others can live for months or even years without feeding

• For example, American dog ticks can survive up to about 2-3 years (over 1,000 days) without a blood meal, with larvae surviving up to 540 days and nymphs up to 584 days unfed

• Blacklegged (deer) ticks typically survive less than a year as larvae without feeding, but nymphs can survive through multiple seasons without a meal, and adults can live just under a year without feeding

• Brown dog ticks can survive up to 18 months without feeding as adults, while their nymphs can survive about 3 months without a host

• Lone star ticks can survive several months to over a year without feeding depending on the life stage, with adults lasting up to 430 days without a blood meal

• Rocky Mountain wood ticks can survive up to 600 days as adults without feeding

Environmental factors like temperature and humidity significantly affect tick survival without a host. Ticks prefer moist, warm conditions and can survive longer in such environments. For example, indoors, ticks generally survive about 24 hours to a few days unless conditions are humid and warm, which may extend their survival to several days or even weeks in some cases

. In summary, ticks’ ability to live without a host ranges from about one day to up to two or three years, largely depending on species, life stage, and environmental conditions. Adult ticks generally survive longer without feeding than larvae or nymphs