A weird-looking photo going around social media is raising some questions.
It definitely shows something in the grass in the picture, but the caption claims it's a nest of tick eggs and suggests burning it.
THE QUESTION:
Does this photo show a nest of tick eggs? Should you actually burn them?
THE ANSWER:
No. While ticks do lay eggs, they’re much smaller and look different than whatever the substance is in the picture.
WHAT WE FOUND:
Ticks do lay egg and you can see a picture of them at the Tick Encounter Resource Center. But tick eggs are smaller than the substance in the photo and often appear more clear with a brown or red tint.
Typically a tick is about 3mm in size, according to the CDC. The eggs would be even smaller by comparison.
So what’s in the picture? That’s a bit harder to determine.
The closest similar image can be seen in a Getty images stock photo titled: “Common Frog (Rana temporaria) spawn spit out by a predator, Netherlands.”