TickZone

Tick Identification in Florida

The ticks you are most likely to find in Florida, with photos and the size, color, and markings that tell them apart. Only the deer tick carries Lyme disease. Below the chart, see which types live in your county.

Female deer tick (blacklegged tick) on a green leaf, with a reddish-orange body, dark shield, and black legs, no white markings

Deer tick

Ixodes scapularis

Carries Lyme

Established in Florida

Size:
Small, a sesame seed (nymph: a poppy seed)
Look for:
Reddish-orange body, solid dark shield, black legs, no pattern
Carries:
Lyme, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, Powassan
Full deer tick guide →
Female American dog tick with an ornate off-white and brown mottled shield behind the head

American dog tick

Dermacentor variabilis

Established in Florida

Size:
Larger, an apple seed
Look for:
Brown with an ornate off-white mottled shield
Carries:
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia (rare)
Full american dog tick guide →
Female lone star tick on a green blade of grass, reddish-brown with a single bright white dot in the center of its back

Lone star tick

Amblyomma americanum

Established in Florida

Size:
Medium, rounded
Look for:
Reddish-brown; female has a single white dot on the back
Carries:
Ehrlichiosis, STARI, alpha-gal syndrome
Full lone star tick guide →
Female brown dog tick, uniform reddish-brown with no distinct markings

Brown dog tick

Rhipicephalus sanguineus

Found nationwide, the one tick that infests homes and kennels indoors

Size:
Medium, narrow body that tapers toward the head
Look for:
Uniform reddish-brown, no ornate markings
Carries:
Rocky Mountain spotted fever, canine diseases
Full brown dog tick guide →
Female Gulf Coast tick with an ornate silvery patterned shield

Gulf Coast tick

Amblyomma maculatum

A southern tick spreading north into the mid-Atlantic

Size:
Large, bigger than a lone star
Look for:
Silvery ornate markings on the shield, no single dot
Carries:
Rickettsia parkeri spotted fever
Full gulf coast tick guide →
Female Asian longhorned tick, small and uniform reddish-brown with no markings

Asian longhorned tick

Haemaphysalis longicornis

A newer arrival, established in the mid-Atlantic and spreading north

Size:
Small and plain, often found in large numbers
Look for:
Reddish-brown with no markings
Carries:
Mainly a livestock threat; human disease risk under study
Full asian longhorned tick guide →

Florida establishment is shown for the three ticks CDC tracks by county; the others carry a regional range note. Source: CDC tick surveillance (ArboNET Tick Module), 2025. County surveillance is coarse: “not established” is a lack of records, not proof a tick is absent.

Deer, dog and lone star ticks by Florida county

These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in Florida: the brown dog, Gulf Coast, and Asian longhorned ticks are in the chart above. Tap a county for its daily tick-risk detail.

CountyDeer tickAmerican dog tickLone star tickGulf Coast tick
Alachua CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Baker CountyEstablishedNot establishedEstablishedEstablished
Bay CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Bradford CountyReportedReportedReportedEstablished
Brevard CountyEstablishedEstablishedReportedEstablished
Broward CountyReportedEstablishedNot establishedEstablished
Calhoun CountyEstablishedReportedReportedEstablished
Charlotte CountyReportedEstablishedReportedEstablished
Citrus CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Clay CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Collier CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Columbia CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
DeSoto CountyEstablishedEstablishedReportedEstablished
Dixie CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Duval CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Escambia CountyEstablishedReportedReportedEstablished
Flagler CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Franklin CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Gadsden CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Gilchrist CountyReportedNot establishedEstablishedEstablished
Glades CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Gulf CountyEstablishedReportedReportedEstablished
Hamilton CountyEstablishedNot establishedEstablishedEstablished
Hardee CountyReportedEstablishedReportedEstablished
Hendry CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot establishedEstablished
Hernando CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Highlands CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Hillsborough CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Holmes CountyReportedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Indian River CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot establishedEstablished
Jackson CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Jefferson CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Lafayette CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Lake CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Lee CountyEstablishedEstablishedReportedEstablished
Leon CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Levy CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Liberty CountyEstablishedNot establishedReportedEstablished
Madison CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Manatee CountyReportedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Marion CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Martin CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Miami-Dade CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Monroe CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot establishedEstablished
Nassau CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Okaloosa CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Okeechobee CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Orange CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Osceola CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Palm Beach CountyEstablishedEstablishedReportedEstablished
Pasco CountyReportedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Pinellas CountyEstablishedReportedReportedEstablished
Polk CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Putnam CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Santa Rosa CountyEstablishedEstablishedReportedEstablished
Sarasota CountyEstablishedReportedReportedEstablished
Seminole CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
St. Johns CountyReportedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
St. Lucie CountyReportedReportedNot establishedEstablished
Sumter CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Suwannee CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Taylor CountyEstablishedReportedEstablishedEstablished
Union CountyReportedNot establishedEstablishedEstablished
Volusia CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Wakulla CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Walton CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Washington CountyReportedReportedEstablishedEstablished

Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome

The lone star tick is established in Florida, including Alachua County, Baker County, Bay County, Citrus County, Clay County, Collier County, Columbia County, Dixie County, Duval County, Flagler County, Franklin County, Gadsden County, Gilchrist County, Glades County, Hamilton County, Hernando County, Highlands County, Hillsborough County, Holmes County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Lafayette County, Lake County, Leon County, Levy County, Madison County, Manatee County, Marion County, Martin County, Miami-Dade County, Nassau County, Okaloosa County, Okeechobee County, Orange County, Osceola County, Pasco County, Polk County, Putnam County, Seminole County, St. Johns County, Sumter County, Suwannee County, Taylor County, Union County, Volusia County, Wakulla County, Walton County, Washington County. Its bite can cause alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat.

Do not overlook the tiny ones

Nymph deer ticks are the size of a poppy seed and cause most Lyme cases in Florida because they are so easy to miss. When you check for ticks, look for the small ones too, especially in June and July.

Florida tick risk by town

A daily 0–100 tick-risk score for every town in Florida.

See Florida →

Tick identification chart

The national chart, plus identification for other states.

All states →

Frequently asked questions

What types of ticks live in Florida?
Florida has the deer tick (blacklegged tick), which carries Lyme disease and is established across the state; the American dog tick, which is established; and the lone star tick, which is established and causes alpha-gal syndrome. County-level presence is shown in the table above.
Which Florida tick carries Lyme disease?
The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Florida. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
Are there lone star ticks in Florida?
Yes. The lone star tick is established in Florida, including Alachua County, Baker County, Bay County, Citrus County, Clay County, Collier County, Columbia County, Dixie County, Duval County, Flagler County, Franklin County, Gadsden County, Gilchrist County, Glades County, Hamilton County, Hernando County, Highlands County, Hillsborough County, Holmes County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Lafayette County, Lake County, Leon County, Levy County, Madison County, Manatee County, Marion County, Martin County, Miami-Dade County, Nassau County, Okaloosa County, Okeechobee County, Orange County, Osceola County, Pasco County, Polk County, Putnam County, Seminole County, St. Johns County, Sumter County, Suwannee County, Taylor County, Union County, Volusia County, Wakulla County, Walton County, Washington County. It causes alpha-gal syndrome, a red-meat allergy.
How can I tell these ticks apart?
Use size, color, and legs. The deer tick is small with a reddish-orange body, a solid dark shield, and black legs. The American dog tick is larger and brown with an ornate off-white mottled shield. The female lone star tick has a single white dot on her back. The chart above shows each one.