Ticks in North Dakota
Ticks are active in North Dakota whenever the ground is not frozen, led by the Lyme-carrying deer tick. TickZone scores all 355 North Dakota 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 North Dakota
Tick season in North Dakota 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.
| Life stage | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer tick nymphs | ||||||||||||
| Deer tick adults | ||||||||||||
| American dog tick |
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 North Dakota (2026)
North Dakota's highest-risk towns are spread across several counties, led by Cass (7 CDC-reported Lyme cases per 100k). The top 10 towns run 32 to 70 percent forest, ranked at peak season so the list stays stable.
- 1North River Cass CountyModerate at peak
- 2Fort Ransom Ransom CountyModerate at peak
- 3Fort Yates Sioux CountyLow at peak
- 4Briarwood Cass CountyLow at peak
- 5Prairie Rose Cass CountyLow at peak
- 6Walhalla Pembina CountyLow at peak
- 7Manvel Grand Forks CountyLow at peak
- 8Neche Pembina CountyLow at peak
- 9Hannaford Griggs CountyLow at peak
- 10Buchanan Stutsman CountyLow at peak
All North Dakota towns, by county
Adams County · 4 towns
Barnes County · 13 towns
Benson County · 9 towns
Billings County · 1 towns
Bottineau County · 12 towns
Bowman County · 4 towns
Burke County · 6 towns
Burleigh County · 4 towns
Cass County · 26 towns · 7/100k Lyme
Cavalier County · 12 towns
Dickey County · 6 towns
Divide County · 4 towns
Dunn County · 4 towns
Eddy County · 2 towns
Emmons County · 5 towns
Foster County · 4 towns
Golden Valley County · 3 towns
Grand Forks County · 9 towns
Grant County · 4 towns
Griggs County · 3 towns
Hettinger County · 3 towns
Kidder County · 6 towns
LaMoure County · 8 towns
Logan County · 3 towns
McHenry County · 12 towns
McIntosh County · 5 towns
McKenzie County · 3 towns
McLean County · 12 towns
Mercer County · 6 towns
Morton County · 6 towns
Mountrail County · 7 towns
Nelson County · 7 towns
Oliver County · 1 towns
Pembina County · 11 towns
Pierce County · 3 towns
Ramsey County · 7 towns
Ransom County · 5 towns
Renville County · 6 towns
Richland County · 14 towns
Rolette County · 5 towns
Sargent County · 7 towns
Sheridan County · 3 towns
Sioux County · 3 towns
Slope County · 2 towns
Stark County · 6 towns
Steele County · 4 towns
Stutsman County · 11 towns
Towner County · 6 towns
Traill County · 8 towns
Walsh County · 13 towns
Ward County · 12 towns
Wells County · 7 towns
Williams County · 8 towns
North Dakota tick questions
- Are there ticks in North Dakota?
- Yes. North Dakota has ticks in every county, led by the deer tick (blacklegged tick) that spreads Lyme disease, along with the American dog tick. They are active whenever the ground is not frozen, and today 3 of the state's 355 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.
- What types of ticks live in North Dakota?
- North Dakota has the deer tick (blacklegged tick), which carries Lyme disease; the American dog tick; and the lone star tick, which is not established in the state and causes alpha-gal syndrome. See the North Dakota tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.
- When does tick season start and end in North Dakota?
- In North Dakota, 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 North Dakota, 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 North Dakota?
- The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in North Dakota. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme.