Ticks in California

California tick questions

Are there ticks in California?

Yes. California has ticks, led by the Rocky Mountain wood tick across the interior and, on the Pacific slope, the western blacklegged tick. Lyme disease is uncommon here; the wood tick's spring bite (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever) is the real concern. Today 0 of the state's 1091 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.

What types of ticks live in California?

California's human-biting ticks are the Rocky Mountain wood tick (Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia), the western blacklegged tick (the Pacific-slope Lyme vector), the Pacific Coast tick, and the American dog tick. See the California tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.

When does tick season start and end in California?

In California, tick risk peaks in spring, the opposite of the Northeast. The Rocky Mountain wood tick quests from March into early summer, then summer heat and drought suppress activity. On the Pacific slope the western blacklegged tick also peaks in spring.

When is flea and tick season?

Flea and tick season in California centers on spring and early summer, when the Rocky Mountain wood tick and western blacklegged tick are most active, easing as the land dries in high summer. Start pet prevention by March.

Which tick carries Lyme disease in California?

On the Pacific slope, the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus) is the Lyme vector, but Lyme is uncommon across California. The Rocky Mountain wood tick, the main biter inland, does not carry Lyme; it carries Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Colorado tick fever.