Are ticks really as bad as everyone says?

[RustyPine17]

I keep hearing how awful ticks are, but do they actually serve any purpose in the ecosystem? Anyone have some insight on this?

 

[MajorBiggs]

Ticks are nasty little things, etween Lyme disease and just the irritation, it's tough to see any upside when you're out in the brush

 

[Richie]

As much as we hate them, ticks do play a role, they're food for birds, reptiles, and small mammals, and they help keep certain wildlife populations in check through disease transmission

 

[Chuck]

Ticks do serve ecological purposes actually but that still doesn't make them any less annoying though