How to identify a tick and its risks

FEMALE

When are they active?

From October-May, as long as the daytime temperature remains above freezing.

Where can they be found?

This tick is mostly found in coniferous forest. Also, they can be on the tips of branches of low growing shrubs.

Potential Diseases:

• Lyme Disease
• Babesiosis
• Anaplasmosis
• Flavivirus

*If your dog was bit by this tick, you should consider sending this tick for testing.

NYMPH

When are they active?

From May-August.

Where can they be found?

They are most commonly found in moist leaf litter in wooded areas, or at the edge of wooded areas.

They typically attach to smaller mammals such as mice, voles, and chipmunks

Potential Diseases:

• Lyme Disease
• Babesiosis
• Anaplasmosis
• Flavivirus

*If your dog was bit by this tick, you should consider sending this tick for testing.

FEMALE

When are they active?

They are active from April to early August.

Where can they be found?

They are found predominantly in areas with little or no tree cover, such as grassy fields and scrubland, as well as along walkways and trails.

They are mostly found questing in tall grass and low lying brush and twigs.

Potential Diseases:

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Tularemia

MALE

When are they active?

They are active from April to early August.

Where can they be found?

They are found predominantly in areas with little or no tree cover, such as grassy fields and scrubland, as well as along walkways and trails.

They are mostly found questing in tall grass and low lying brush and twigs.

Potential Diseases:

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Tularemia

FEMALE

When are they active?

They are active from April to late August.

Where can they be found?

They are found mostly in woodlands with dense undergrowth and around animal resting areas.

They will be found questing for larger animals, such as dogs, coyotes, deer, cattle and humans on tall grass in shade or at the tips of low lying branches and twigs.

Potential Diseases:

• Ehrlichiosis
• Tularemia

*If your dog was bit by this tick, you should consider sending this tick for testing.

MALE

When are they active?

They are active from April to late August.

Where can they be found?

They are found mostly in woodlands with dense undergrowth and around animal resting areas.

They will be found questing for larger animals, such as dogs, coyotes, deer, cattle and humans on tall grass in shade or at the tips of low lying branches and twigs.

Potential Diseases:

• Ehrlichiosis
• Tularemia

*If your dog was bit by this tick, you should consider sending this tick for testing.

NYMPH

When are they active?

They are active from May to early August.

Where can they be found?

They are found mostly in woodlands with dense undergrowth and around animal resting areas.

They can be found questing for deer, coyotes, raccoons, squirrels, turkeys and some birds as well as cats, dogs and humans.

Potential Diseases:

• Ehrlichiosis
• Tularemia

*If your dog was bit by this tick, you should consider sending this tick for testing.

FEMALE

When are they active?

They are a risk throughout the year as they can live a complete life cycle indoor.

Where can they be found?

Brown Dog ticks have a world-wide distribution, and can be found throughout the United States, although they are encountered more frequently in the southern tier of states.

They occur predominately in and around human settlements and infest homes, animal pens, and dog kennels, often causing high levels of infestation both on dogs and in homes. These ticks can spend their entire life cycle indoors.

Potential Diseases:

• Ehrlichiosis
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Babesiosis

*If your dog was bit by this tick, you should consider sending this tick for testing.

MALE

When are they active?

They are a risk throughout the year as they can live a complete life cycle indoor.

Where can they be found?

Brown Dog ticks have a world-wide distribution, and can be found throughout the United States, although they are encountered more frequently in the southern tier of states.

They occur predominately in and around human settlements and infest homes, animal pens, and dog kennels, often causing high levels of infestation both on dogs and in homes. These ticks can spend their entire life cycle indoors.

Potential Diseases:

• Ehrlichiosis
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Babesiosis

*If your dog was bit by this tick, you should consider sending this tick for testing.

NYMPH

When are they active?

They are a risk throughout the year as they can live a complete life cycle indoor.

Where can they be found?

Brown Dog ticks have a world-wide distribution, and can be found throughout the United States, although they are encountered more frequently in the southern tier of states.

They occur predominately in and around human settlements and infest homes, animal pens, and dog kennels, often causing high levels of infestation both on dogs and in homes. These ticks can spend their entire life cycle indoors.

Potential Diseases:

• Ehrlichiosis
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Babesiosis

*If your dog was bit by this tick, you should consider sending this tick for testing.

LARVAE

When are they active?

They are a risk throughout the year as they can live a complete life cycle indoor.

Where can they be found?

Brown Dog ticks have a world-wide distribution, and can be found throughout the United States, although they are encountered more frequently in the southern tier of states.

They occur predominately in and around human settlements and infest homes, animal pens, and dog kennels, often causing high levels of infestation both on dogs and in homes. These ticks can spend their entire life cycle indoors.

Potential Diseases:

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

FEMALE

When are they active?

They are active from June to October.

Where can they be found?

They are in coastal areas along the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico.

They are found in grass prairies and coastal uplands.

Potential Diseases:

• Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis (check Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever for symptoms, and treatment)

MALE

When are they active?

They are active from June to October.

Where can they be found?

They are in coastal areas along the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico.

They are found in grass prairies and coastal uplands.

Potential Diseases:

• Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis (check Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever for symptoms, and treatment)

NYMPH

When are they active?

They are active from December to March.

Where can they be found?

They are in coastal areas along the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico.

They are found in grass prairies and coastal uplands.

Potential Diseases:

• Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis (check Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever for symptoms, and treatment)

LARVAE

When are they active?

They are active from October to January.

Where can they be found?

They are in coastal areas along the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico.

They are found in grass prairies and coastal uplands.

Potential Diseases:

• Spotted Fever Rickettsiosis (check Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever for symptoms, and treatment)

FEMALE

When are they active?

They are active from October-May, as long as the daytime temperature remains above freezing.

Where can they be found?

So far, these ticks have been spotted on the west coast solely.

They feed onto larger animals such as domestic dogs, humans, and deer.

They may be found in grasslands, woodland grass, or brush areas.  Also, they can be on the tips of branches of low growing shrubs.

Potential Diseases:

• Lyme Disease
• Anaplasmosis

*If your dog was bit by this tick, you should consider sending this tick for testing.

NYMPH

When are they active?

They are active from January to October, as long as the daytime temperature remains above freezing.

Where can they be found?

So far, these ticks have been spotted on the west coast solely.

They can primarily be found under and around leaf litter and at the bottom of trees.

They feed on smaller animals, such as rodents and birds.

Potential Diseases:

• Lyme Disease
• Anaplasmosis

*If your dog was bit by this tick, you should consider sending this tick for testing.

FEMALE

When are they active?

They are active year-round, but peak activity typically occurs during cooler months, and especially in March, April and May.

Where can they be found?

They are found predominantly in shrublands, chaparral, and along trails from Oregon to northern Baja California and Mexico.

Pacific Coast ticks are the most common tick found nearly throughout California.

Potential Diseases:

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Tularemia

MALE

When are they active?

They are active year-round, but peak activity typically occurs during cooler months, and especially in March, April and May.

Where can they be found?

They are found predominantly in shrublands, chaparral, and along trails from Oregon to northern Baja California and Mexico.

Pacific Coast ticks are the most common tick found nearly throughout California.

Potential Diseases:

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Tularemia

NYMPH

When are they active?

They are active year-round, but peak activity typically occurs during cooler months, and especially in March, April and May.

Where can they be found?

Nymphs can be found questing for hosts on the ground or up to five inches from the ground on the sides of vegetation. From Oregon to northern Baja California and Mexico.

Pacific Coast ticks are the most common tick found nearly throughout California.

Potential Diseases:

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Tularemia

LARVAE

When are they active?

They are active are active from summer through winter,with peak activity in July. 

Where can they be found?

Larvae prefer to feed on small rodents and other small mammals. They are anywhere, from Oregon to northern Baja California and Mexico.

Pacific Coast ticks are the most common tick found nearly throughout California.

Potential Diseases:

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Tularemia

FEMALE

When are they active?

They are active year-round as long as daytime temperature are above zero (always the case in current affected regions (texas)).

Where can they be found?

They are primarily confined to south Texas, although collections of Cayenne ticks from Florida and coastal regions of other states bordering the Gulf of Mexico have been reported.

Cayenne ticks are commonly found in grassy areas.

Potential Diseases:

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

MALE

When are they active?

They are active year-round as long as daytime temperature are above zero (always the case in current affected regions (texas)).

Where can they be found?

They are primarily confined to south Texas, although collections of Cayenne ticks from Florida and coastal regions of other states bordering the Gulf of Mexico have been reported.

Cayenne ticks are commonly found in grassy areas.

Potential Diseases:

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

NYMPH

When are they active?

They are active year-round as long as daytime temperature are above zero (always the case in current affected regions (texas)).

Where can they be found?

They are primarily confined to south Texas, although collections of Cayenne ticks from Florida and coastal regions of other states bordering the Gulf of Mexico have been reported.

Cayenne ticks are commonly found in grassy areas.

Potential Diseases:

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

LARVAE

When are they active?

Mostly during April & May, but as far as October.

Where can they be found?

They are primarily confined to south Texas, although collections of Cayenne ticks from Florida and coastal regions of other states bordering the Gulf of Mexico have been reported.

Cayenne ticks are commonly found in grassy areas.

Potential Diseases:

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever

FEMALE

When are they active?

The wood ticks can be active from January through November, but are most common in the late spring/early summer.

Their activity diminishes during the hot and dry mid-summer period.

Further west in the northern inter-mountain region, large numbers of adult wood ticks can occur in April and May.

Where can they be found?

They are found predominantly in shrublands, lightly wooded areas, open grasslands, and along trails, mainly at lower elevations.

Potential Diseases:

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Tularemia

*If your dog was bit by this tick, you should consider sending this tick for testing.

MALE

When are they active?

The wood ticks can be active from January through November, but are most common in the late spring/early summer.

Their activity diminishes during the hot and dry mid-summer period.

Further west in the northern inter-mountain region, large numbers of adult wood ticks can occur in April and May.

Where can they be found?

They are found predominantly in shrublands, lightly wooded areas, open grasslands, and along trails, mainly at lower elevations.

Potential Diseases:

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Tularemia

*If your dog was bit by this tick, you should consider sending this tick for testing.

NYMPH

When are they active?

The nymph wood ticks are active from March through October.

Where can they be found?

They are found predominantly in shrublands, lightly wooded areas, open grasslands, and along trails, mainly at lower elevations.

Nymphs prefer to feed on rodents, especially voles, and rarely attach to humans or pets.

Potential Diseases:

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Tularemia

*If your dog was bit by this tick, you should consider sending this tick for testing.

LARVAE

When are they active?

Larvae are active from March (further south) through October (further north).

Where can they be found?

They are found predominantly in shrublands, lightly wooded areas, open grasslands, and along trails, mainly at lower elevations.

Larvae prefer to feed on rodents, especially voles, and rarely attach to humans or pets.

Potential Diseases:

• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Tularemia

*If your dog was bit by this tick, you should consider sending this tick for testing.