- argasidae mate off-host (when the female is not eating); this can happen before or after the engorgement (engorgement = enlargement by feeding)

- ixodidae mate on-host (when the female is eating); afterwards the female will engorge and drop off the host => this is the most frequent form of reproduction

The female then oviposits her eggs on a safe spot (normally a moist area). When it is warm, the female will do this one or two days after the fertilization. When it is cold on the other hand, she can wait for months until she oviposits.

 When she then eventually oviposits, she has about 2,000 eggs. Depending on the weather, she lays her eggs all at once or at intervals.

After the oviposition, the female leaves her eggs and dies. The eggs will hatch within two weeks but this may also take a couple of months.