Are there ticks in Alabama?

Yes. Alabama has ticks in every county, led by the lone star tick, with the American dog tick, Gulf Coast tick, brown dog tick, and deer tick also present. Ticks here stay active nearly year-round, and today 146 of the state's 516 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.

What types of ticks live in Alabama?

Alabama has five human-biting ticks: the lone star tick (established statewide, the state's most common human-biting tick and the main cause of alpha-gal syndrome), the Gulf Coast tick (established), the American dog tick, the brown dog tick, and the deer tick (blacklegged tick), which carries Lyme disease but bites people far less often this far south. See the Alabama tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.

When does tick season start and end in Alabama?

In Alabama, ticks are active nearly year-round: the region rarely gets a hard freeze long enough to fully shut them down. The lone star tick ramps up earliest in spring, peaks in midsummer, and its larval "seed tick" swarms hit hardest in late summer. Adult ticks can still quest on mild winter days.

When is flea and tick season?

Flea and tick season generally runs from early spring through late fall, peaking in the warm summer months. In Alabama, start prevention for pets and people in March and keep it up through November, since ticks can bite on any mild day.

Which tick carries Lyme disease in Alabama?

The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease, but it is a minor factor in Alabama. The lone star tick does not carry Lyme, but its bite causes alpha-gal syndrome, and it bites people far more often here than the deer tick does.

Does Alabama have lone star ticks that cause alpha-gal syndrome?

Yes. The lone star tick is established across Alabama and is the tick most responsible for human bites in the state. Its bite can trigger alpha-gal syndrome, a delayed allergy to red meat and other mammal products, along with ehrlichiosis and STARI.

Ticks in Alabama

Ticks are active in Alabama nearly year-round, led by the lone star tick. TickZone scores all 516 Alabama towns every morning, so risk stays local: pick your town for today's number, a 7-day outlook, and what's driving it.

Tick season in Alabama

Tick season in Alabama effectively runs year-round: winters rarely stay cold long enough to fully shut ticks down. Lone star ticks ramp up first in early spring, peak from April through July, and their larval "seed tick" swarms hit hardest in late summer. American dog ticks are busiest from spring through midsummer, and adult ticks of every species can still quest on mild winter days.

Generalized for the South, where the season runs earlier and longer than the North.
Life stage	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Lone star tick
Seed ticks (lone star larvae)
American dog tick
Gulf Coast tick

Peak Active

Generalized for the South, where the season runs earlier and longer than the North. Activity windows by life stage from TickEncounter (Univ. of Rhode Island) and the Northeast Regional Center for Excellence in Vector-Borne Diseases. Any warm spell can wake ticks earlier than the calendar suggests.

That means prevention never fully comes off in Alabama: the safer way to time it is by the day, not the month. The daily score on every town page folds the season, the weather, and local habitat into one number each morning.

Highest-risk towns in Alabama (2026)

Alabama's highest-risk towns are spread across several counties, led by Blount County. The top 10 towns run 29 to 82 percent forest, ranked at peak season so the list stays stable.

1Ranburne Cleburne CountyModerate at peak
2Lakeview DeKalb CountyModerate at peak
3Nectar Blount CountyModerate at peak
4Douglas Marshall CountyModerate at peak
5Perdido Beach Baldwin CountyModerate at peak
6Meadowbrook Shelby CountyModerate at peak
7Minor Jefferson CountyModerate at peak
8Lipscomb Jefferson CountyModerate at peak
9Emelle Sumter CountyModerate at peak
10County Line Blount CountyModerate at peak

See the riskiest towns in every state →

All Alabama towns, by county

Autauga County · 5 towns

Baldwin County · 18 towns · 2/100k Lyme

Barbour County · 6 towns

Bibb County · 4 towns

Blount County · 14 towns

Bullock County · 2 towns

Butler County · 3 towns

Calhoun County · 11 towns

Chambers County · 7 towns

Cherokee County · 5 towns

Chilton County · 4 towns

Choctaw County · 7 towns

Clarke County · 5 towns

Clay County · 2 towns

Cleburne County · 4 towns

Coffee County · 4 towns

Colbert County · 6 towns

Conecuh County · 3 towns

Coosa County · 4 towns

Covington County · 14 towns

Crenshaw County · 6 towns

Cullman County · 12 towns

Dale County · 11 towns

Dallas County · 4 towns

DeKalb County · 16 towns

Elmore County · 11 towns

Escambia County · 6 towns

Etowah County · 18 towns

Fayette County · 4 towns

Franklin County · 5 towns

Geneva County · 7 towns

Greene County · 4 towns

Hale County · 4 towns

Henry County · 4 towns

Houston County · 12 towns

Jackson County · 13 towns

Jefferson County · 41 towns

Lamar County · 6 towns

Lauderdale County · 8 towns

Lawrence County · 5 towns

Lee County · 4 towns

Limestone County · 5 towns

Lowndes County · 7 towns

Macon County · 4 towns

Madison County · 11 towns

Marengo County · 8 towns

Marion County · 8 towns

Marshall County · 7 towns

Mobile County · 14 towns

Monroe County · 5 towns

Montgomery County · 2 towns

Morgan County · 7 towns

Perry County · 2 towns

Pickens County · 8 towns

Pike County · 4 towns

Randolph County · 4 towns

Russell County · 3 towns

Shelby County · 19 towns

St. Clair County · 10 towns

Sumter County · 7 towns

Talladega County · 11 towns

Tallapoosa County · 7 towns

Tuscaloosa County · 9 towns

Walker County · 11 towns

Washington County · 3 towns

Wilcox County · 5 towns

Winston County · 6 towns

Alabama tick questions

Are there ticks in Alabama?: Yes. Alabama has ticks in every county, led by the lone star tick, with the American dog tick, Gulf Coast tick, brown dog tick, and deer tick also present. Ticks here stay active nearly year-round, and today 146 of the state's 516 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.
What types of ticks live in Alabama?: Alabama has five human-biting ticks: the lone star tick (established statewide, the state's most common human-biting tick and the main cause of alpha-gal syndrome), the Gulf Coast tick (established), the American dog tick, the brown dog tick, and the deer tick (blacklegged tick), which carries Lyme disease but bites people far less often this far south. See the Alabama tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.
When does tick season start and end in Alabama?: In Alabama, ticks are active nearly year-round: the region rarely gets a hard freeze long enough to fully shut them down. The lone star tick ramps up earliest in spring, peaks in midsummer, and its larval "seed tick" swarms hit hardest in late summer. Adult ticks can still quest on mild winter days.
When is flea and tick season?: Flea and tick season generally runs from early spring through late fall, peaking in the warm summer months. In Alabama, start prevention for pets and people in March and keep it up through November, since ticks can bite on any mild day.
Which tick carries Lyme disease in Alabama?: The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease, but it is a minor factor in Alabama. The lone star tick does not carry Lyme, but its bite causes alpha-gal syndrome, and it bites people far more often here than the deer tick does.
Does Alabama have lone star ticks that cause alpha-gal syndrome?: Yes. The lone star tick is established across Alabama and is the tick most responsible for human bites in the state. Its bite can trigger alpha-gal syndrome, a delayed allergy to red meat and other mammal products, along with ehrlichiosis and STARI.