Discover nature this week with ticks in Missouri. Ticks have been a part of the outdoors for as long as there have been people to complain about them. Ticks are small, blood-sucking parasites related to spiders and mites. They’re often found in great numbers in areas where animals are abundant. Ticks will be active in these areas from April through September. At least six different human tick-borne diseases have been reported in Missouri: Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, tularemia, Q