Tick Tac Toe

Can someone please inform as to the purpose of ticks? I understand that snakes, of which I am terrified, are good because they eat insects. I believe the same is true of bats. Worms, another thing that creeps me out, are good for the soil. But ticks? What purpose to those little bastards serve?

I am asking because tick season seems to be in full swing here. Just about every day there is a tick or two on one of the dogs. The other day there was a dead tick in the bed. Near my pillow. I'm guessing it was from one of the dogs. As they say in Boston, that really skeeved me out.

I have caught ticks crawling on me once or twice. None have embedded themselves in me (that I know of). And because they seem to go for the warmer parts of the body, when one does embed, I'm guessing it won't be fun to pull it out. I can just picture myself saying - "I don't recall ever having a freckle there before." What's that old saying, a tick in the hand is worth two in the bush?

To me they are vile little creatures that should be eradicated from the face of the earth.

Other than that, I have no strong feelings on the matter. Here's to hoping you have a tick-free day.