Do ticks have a role in the ecosystem, or are they just pests?

[RustyPine17]

I've always wondered if ticks serve any purpose in nature besides being a nuisance. Anyone have insights, or are we just better off without them?

 

[Legopez]

Lots of birds and reptiles eat them. They also help with population control, by knocking off the older sick animals giving younger healthy ones more resource to survive.

 

[Kabulrocks]

Possums and guineas eat a lot of ticks, so they food for those animals at least.