Tick nymphs moult into adults in about a month, but remain inactive till the following spring, when they start to search for the final host.
 

In common with the larval and nymphal stages of the life cycle, they do this using a behaviour known as questing, whereby they raise their front legs to sense a host.
 

Adult female ticks will feed on the final host for 8-12 days, increasing their weight by as much as 100 times (see picture right), before they lay their eggs and the cycle starts all over again.
 

In all, ticks complete their life cycle in 3 years, although cool summers and warm winters can modify the cycle.