Ticks of Massachusetts
Three ticks bite people in Massachusetts, and they are genuinely different, in where they live, when they bite, and what they carry. Only one spreads Lyme. Here is how to tell them apart.
Deer tick
Ixodes scapularis
The Lyme tick, found statewide.
- Carries:
- Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, Powassan virus
- Active:
- Nymphs peak Jun–Jul; adults in fall
American dog tick
Dermacentor variabilis
Common in grassy areas. Not a Lyme carrier.
- Carries:
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia (both rare)
- Active:
- Adults May–Jul
Lone star tick
Amblyomma americanum
Coastal and the Islands, spreading. Causes alpha-gal.
- Carries:
- Ehrlichiosis, STARI, alpha-gal syndrome
- Active:
- Spring–Fall; larval swarms late summer
Your town's tick risk, in one number
A daily 0–100 tick-risk score for every one of the 351 Massachusetts towns, built from local weather, the tick life-stage, habitat, and county disease data.