Blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) spend little of their lives actually seeking out hosts—an activity called questing—or feeding on hosts. Most of the time, ticks are dormant and living in or near the soil. A research team at Cornell University highlights an important opportunity for tick researchers and soil ecologists to collaborate to better understand what happens when the ticks aren’t in contact with hosts. (Photo credit: Lennart Tange/Flickr, CC BY 2.0 )