Are there ticks in Maine?

Yes. Maine has ticks in every county, led by the deer tick (blacklegged tick) that spreads Lyme disease, along with the American dog tick and the lone star tick. They are active whenever the ground is not frozen, and today 485 of the state's 486 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.

What types of ticks live in Maine?

Maine has the deer tick (blacklegged tick), which carries Lyme disease; the American dog tick; and the lone star tick, which is reported in the state and causes alpha-gal syndrome. See the Maine tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.

When does tick season start and end in Maine?

In Maine, ticks are active whenever the ground is not frozen, roughly March through November. Nymph deer ticks peak in June and July and cause most Lyme cases, and adult ticks have a second peak in the fall. On any winter day above freezing, adult ticks can still bite.

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 Maine, 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 Maine?

The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Maine. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme.

Ticks in Maine

Ticks are active in Maine whenever the ground is not frozen, led by the Lyme-carrying deer tick. TickZone scores all 486 Maine 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 Maine

Tick season in Maine runs whenever the ground is not frozen, roughly March through November, with two peaks. Nymph deer ticks, the poppy-seed-sized stage that causes most Lyme cases, peak from late May through July. Adult deer ticks make a second push in October and November, and on any winter day above about 40 F they can quest again. American dog ticks are busiest from April through July.

Generalized for the Northeast and Upper Midwest Lyme belt.
Life stage	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Deer tick nymphs
Deer tick adults
American dog tick
Lone star tick

Peak Active

Generalized for the Northeast and Upper Midwest Lyme belt. 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.

Those are averages, and any single week can run hotter or colder than the calendar suggests. The daily score on every town page folds the season, the weather, and local habitat into one number each morning, so it is the safer way to time yard work, hikes, and pet prevention.

Highest-risk towns in Maine (2026)

Maine's highest structural tick risk concentrates in Knox County, which holds 7 of the state's top 10 towns (664 CDC-reported Lyme cases per 100k). The top 10 towns run 84 to 96 percent forest, ranked at peak season so the list stays stable.

1Camden Knox CountyHigh at peak
2Isle au Haut Knox CountyHigh at peak
3Vinalhaven Knox CountyHigh at peak
4Washington Knox CountyHigh at peak
5St. George Knox CountyHigh at peak
6Friendship Knox CountyHigh at peak
7Rockport Knox CountyHigh at peak
8Dedham Hancock CountyHigh at peak
9Amherst Hancock CountyHigh at peak
10Otis Hancock CountyHigh at peak

See the riskiest towns in every state →

All Maine towns, by county

Androscoggin County · 14 towns · 96/100k Lyme

Aroostook County · 64 towns · 19/100k Lyme

Cumberland County · 28 towns · 120/100k Lyme

Franklin County · 21 towns · 178/100k Lyme

Hancock County · 37 towns · 605/100k Lyme

Kennebec County · 29 towns · 194/100k Lyme

Knox County · 18 towns · 664/100k Lyme

Lincoln County · 19 towns · 503/100k Lyme

Oxford County · 35 towns · 139/100k Lyme

Penobscot County · 60 towns · 154/100k Lyme

Piscataquis County · 18 towns · 114/100k Lyme

Sagadahoc County · 10 towns · 300/100k Lyme

Somerset County · 33 towns · 254/100k Lyme

Waldo County · 26 towns · 565/100k Lyme

Washington County · 45 towns · 271/100k Lyme

York County · 29 towns · 139/100k Lyme

Maine tick questions

Are there ticks in Maine?: Yes. Maine has ticks in every county, led by the deer tick (blacklegged tick) that spreads Lyme disease, along with the American dog tick and the lone star tick. They are active whenever the ground is not frozen, and today 485 of the state's 486 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.
What types of ticks live in Maine?: Maine has the deer tick (blacklegged tick), which carries Lyme disease; the American dog tick; and the lone star tick, which is reported in the state and causes alpha-gal syndrome. See the Maine tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.
When does tick season start and end in Maine?: In Maine, ticks are active whenever the ground is not frozen, roughly March through November. Nymph deer ticks peak in June and July and cause most Lyme cases, and adult ticks have a second peak in the fall. On any winter day above freezing, adult ticks can still bite.
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 Maine, 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 Maine?: The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Maine. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme.