Are there ticks in Louisiana?

Yes. Louisiana 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 1 of the state's 411 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.

What types of ticks live in Louisiana?

Louisiana 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 Louisiana tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.

When does tick season start and end in Louisiana?

In Louisiana, 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 Louisiana, 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 Louisiana?

The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease, but it is a minor factor in Louisiana. 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 Louisiana have lone star ticks that cause alpha-gal syndrome?

Yes. The lone star tick is established across Louisiana 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 Louisiana

Ticks are active in Louisiana nearly year-round, led by the lone star tick. TickZone scores all 411 Louisiana 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 Louisiana

Tick season in Louisiana 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 Louisiana: 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 Louisiana (2026)

Louisiana's highest-risk towns are spread across several counties, led by Avoyelles Parish. The top 10 towns run 21 to 70 percent forest, ranked at peak season so the list stays stable.

1Hessmer Avoyelles ParishModerate at peak
2Chataignier Evangeline ParishModerate at peak
3Buras Plaquemines ParishModerate at peak
4Vinton Calcasieu ParishModerate at peak
5Marksville Avoyelles ParishModerate at peak
6Longstreet De Soto ParishModerate at peak
7Tallulah Madison ParishModerate at peak
8Port Sulphur Plaquemines ParishModerate at peak
9Ridgecrest Concordia ParishModerate at peak
10Westminster East Baton Rouge ParishModerate at peak

See the riskiest towns in every state →

All Louisiana towns, by county

Acadia Parish · 7 towns

Allen Parish · 5 towns

Ascension Parish · 4 towns

Assumption Parish · 5 towns

Avoyelles Parish · 9 towns

Beauregard Parish · 2 towns

Bienville Parish · 10 towns

Bossier Parish · 6 towns

Caddo Parish · 11 towns

Calcasieu Parish · 9 towns

Caldwell Parish · 4 towns

Catahoula Parish · 3 towns

Claiborne Parish · 4 towns

Concordia Parish · 5 towns

De Soto Parish · 8 towns

East Baton Rouge Parish · 14 towns

East Carroll Parish · 1 towns

Lake Providence

East Feliciana Parish · 5 towns

Evangeline Parish · 6 towns

Franklin Parish · 4 towns

Grant Parish · 6 towns

Iberia Parish · 3 towns

Iberville Parish · 6 towns

Jackson Parish · 7 towns

Jefferson Parish · 21 towns

Jefferson Davis Parish · 5 towns

Lafayette Parish · 8 towns

Lafourche Parish · 13 towns

LaSalle Parish · 5 towns

Lincoln Parish · 6 towns

Livingston Parish · 8 towns

Madison Parish · 4 towns

Morehouse Parish · 5 towns

Natchitoches Parish · 10 towns

Orleans Parish · 1 towns

New Orleans

Ouachita Parish · 9 towns

Plaquemines Parish · 4 towns

Pointe Coupee Parish · 4 towns

Rapides Parish · 11 towns

Red River Parish · 4 towns

Richland Parish · 3 towns

Sabine Parish · 7 towns

St. Bernard Parish · 5 towns

St. Charles Parish · 12 towns

St. Helena Parish · 2 towns

St. James Parish · 6 towns

St. John the Baptist Parish · 4 towns

St. Landry Parish · 13 towns

St. Martin Parish · 6 towns

St. Mary Parish · 8 towns

St. Tammany Parish · 10 towns

Tangipahoa Parish · 9 towns

Tensas Parish · 3 towns

Terrebonne Parish · 9 towns

Union Parish · 7 towns

Vermilion Parish · 7 towns

Vernon Parish · 8 towns

Washington Parish · 4 towns

Webster Parish · 11 towns

West Baton Rouge Parish · 4 towns

West Carroll Parish · 5 towns

West Feliciana Parish · 1 towns

St. Francisville

Winn Parish · 5 towns

Louisiana tick questions

Are there ticks in Louisiana?: Yes. Louisiana 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 1 of the state's 411 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.
What types of ticks live in Louisiana?: Louisiana 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 Louisiana tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.
When does tick season start and end in Louisiana?: In Louisiana, 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 Louisiana, 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 Louisiana?: The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease, but it is a minor factor in Louisiana. 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 Louisiana have lone star ticks that cause alpha-gal syndrome?: Yes. The lone star tick is established across Louisiana 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.