Are there ticks in Vermont?

Yes. Vermont 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 253 of the state's 253 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.

What types of ticks live in Vermont?

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

When does tick season start and end in Vermont?

In Vermont, 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 Vermont, 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 Vermont?

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

Ticks in Vermont

Ticks are active in Vermont whenever the ground is not frozen, led by the Lyme-carrying deer tick. TickZone scores all 253 Vermont 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 Vermont

Tick season in Vermont 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 Vermont (2026)

Vermont's highest structural tick risk concentrates in Windsor County, which holds 10 of the state's top 10 towns (379 CDC-reported Lyme cases per 100k). The top 10 towns run 90 to 97 percent forest, ranked at peak season so the list stays stable.

1Plymouth Windsor CountyHigh at peak
2Stockbridge Windsor CountyHigh at peak
3Bridgewater Windsor CountyHigh at peak
4Reading Windsor CountyHigh at peak
5Weston Windsor CountyHigh at peak
6Andover Windsor CountyHigh at peak
7Cavendish Windsor CountyHigh at peak
8Sharon Windsor CountyHigh at peak
9Baltimore Windsor CountyHigh at peak
10Chester Windsor CountyHigh at peak

See the riskiest towns in every state →

All Vermont towns, by county

Addison County · 23 towns · 306/100k Lyme

Bennington County · 17 towns · 367/100k Lyme

Caledonia County · 17 towns · 178/100k Lyme

Chittenden County · 19 towns · 168/100k Lyme

Essex County · 16 towns

Franklin County · 15 towns · 130/100k Lyme

Grand Isle County · 5 towns · 255/100k Lyme

Lamoille County · 10 towns · 129/100k Lyme

Orange County · 17 towns · 262/100k Lyme

Orleans County · 19 towns · 55/100k Lyme

Rutland County · 28 towns · 143/100k Lyme

Washington County · 20 towns · 191/100k Lyme

Windham County · 23 towns · 322/100k Lyme

Windsor County · 24 towns · 379/100k Lyme

Vermont tick questions

Are there ticks in Vermont?: Yes. Vermont 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 253 of the state's 253 towns are at moderate or high tick risk on TickZone's daily score.
What types of ticks live in Vermont?: Vermont 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 Vermont tick identification chart for photos and how to tell them apart.
When does tick season start and end in Vermont?: In Vermont, 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 Vermont, 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 Vermont?: The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Vermont. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme.