[1][2] As early as 1909, Ernest Thompson Seton described the winter tick as a greater enemy of the moose than were "wolves, bears, and cougars."

This means that the entire lifecycle of the tick (larvae, nymphs, and adults) progresses on a single host animal.

[9] During late winter, the ticks mate, and blood-filled females drop off the host to lay their eggs and die.

[8] For captive moose observed in Ontario in 1988, tick detachment occurred in late March to early April.

[10] Winters that are shorter and warmer have been shown to correlate with increased numbers of ticks in moose populations.