Deer tick
Ixodes scapularis
Established in Georgia
- 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
Tick Identification in Georgia
The ticks you are most likely to find in Georgia, 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.
Carries Lyme
American dog tick
Dermacentor variabilis
Established in Georgia
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with an ornate off-white mottled shield
- Carries:
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia (rare)
Lone star tick
Amblyomma americanum
Established in Georgia
- Size:
- Medium, rounded
- Look for:
- Reddish-brown; female has a single white dot on the back
- Carries:
- Ehrlichiosis, STARI, alpha-gal syndrome
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
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
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
Rocky Mountain wood tick
Dermacentor andersoni
Not established in Georgia
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with an ornate off-white and gray marbled shield
- Carries:
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia
Pacific Coast tick
Dermacentor occidentalis
Not established in Georgia
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with a marbled silvery-gray ornate shield
- Carries:
- Pacific Coast tick fever, tularemia
Georgia 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 Georgia county
These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in Georgia: the brown dog, Gulf Coast, and Asian longhorned ticks are in the chart above. Tap a county for its daily tick-risk detail.
| County | Deer tick | American dog tick | Lone star tick |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appling County | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Atkinson County | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Bacon County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Baker County | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Baldwin County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Banks County | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Barrow County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Bartow County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Ben Hill County | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Berrien County | Not established | Established | Not established |
| Bibb County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Bleckley County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Brantley County | Established | Established | Established |
| Brooks County | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Bryan County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Bulloch County | Established | Established | Established |
| Burke County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Butts County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Calhoun County | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Camden County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Candler County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Carroll County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Catoosa County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Charlton County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Chatham County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Chattahoochee County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Chattooga County | Not established | Established | Reported |
| Cherokee County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Clarke County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Clay County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Clayton County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Clinch County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Cobb County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Coffee County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Colquitt County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Columbia County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Cook County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Coweta County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Crawford County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Crisp County | Reported | Established | Not established |
| Dade County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Dawson County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Decatur County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| DeKalb County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Dodge County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Dooly County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Dougherty County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Douglas County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Early County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Echols County | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Effingham County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Elbert County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Emanuel County | Established | Established | Established |
| Evans County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Fannin County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Fayette County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Floyd County | Established | Established | Established |
| Forsyth County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Franklin County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Fulton County | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Gilmer County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Glascock County | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Glynn County | Established | Established | Established |
| Gordon County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Grady County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Greene County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Gwinnett County | Not established | Established | Established |
| Habersham County | Not established | Established | Not established |
| Hall County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Hancock County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Haralson County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Harris County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Hart County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Heard County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Henry County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Houston County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Irwin County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Jackson County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Jasper County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Jeff Davis County | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Jefferson County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Jenkins County | Established | Established | Established |
| Johnson County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Jones County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Lamar County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Lanier County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Laurens County | Established | Established | Established |
| Lee County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Liberty County | Established | Established | Established |
| Lincoln County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Long County | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Lowndes County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Lumpkin County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Macon County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Madison County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Marion County | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| McDuffie County | Established | Not established | Established |
| McIntosh County | Established | Established | Established |
| Meriwether County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Miller County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Mitchell County | Not established | Established | Not established |
| Monroe County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Montgomery County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Morgan County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Murray County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Muscogee County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Newton County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Oconee County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Oglethorpe County | Not established | Established | Established |
| Paulding County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Peach County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Pickens County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Pierce County | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Pike County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Polk County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Pulaski County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Putnam County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Quitman County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Rabun County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Randolph County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Richmond County | Not established | Established | Established |
| Rockdale County | Not established | Established | Established |
| Schley County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Screven County | Not established | Established | Reported |
| Seminole County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Spalding County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Stephens County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Stewart County | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Sumter County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Talbot County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Taliaferro County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Tattnall County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Taylor County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Telfair County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Terrell County | Reported | Reported | Not established |
| Thomas County | Established | Established | Established |
| Tift County | Reported | Reported | Not established |
| Toombs County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Towns County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Treutlen County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Troup County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Turner County | Not established | Established | Reported |
| Twiggs County | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Union County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Upson County | Not established | Established | Established |
| Walker County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Walton County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Ware County | Established | Established | Established |
| Warren County | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Washington County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Wayne County | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Webster County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Wheeler County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| White County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Whitfield County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Wilcox County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Wilkes County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Wilkinson County | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Worth County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome
The lone star tick is established in Georgia in 60 of 159 counties (see the table above). 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 Georgia because they are so easy to miss. When you check for ticks, look for the small ones too, especially in June and July.
Frequently asked questions
- What types of ticks live in Georgia?
- Georgia 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 Georgia tick carries Lyme disease?
- The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Georgia. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
- Are there lone star ticks in Georgia?
- Yes. The lone star tick is established in Georgia, in 60 of the state's 159 counties (Bacon County, Baldwin County, Bartow County and more, listed in the table above). 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.