Deer tick
Ixodes scapularis
Established in Kentucky
- 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 Kentucky
The ticks you are most likely to find in Kentucky, 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 Kentucky
- 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 Kentucky
- 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 Kentucky
- 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 Kentucky
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with a marbled silvery-gray ornate shield
- Carries:
- Pacific Coast tick fever, tularemia
Kentucky 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 Kentucky county
These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in Kentucky: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adair County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Allen County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Anderson County | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Ballard County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Barren County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Bath County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Bell County | Established | Established | Established |
| Boone County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Bourbon County | Not established | Established | Reported |
| Boyd County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Boyle County | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Bracken County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Breathitt County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Breckinridge County | Not established | Established | Established |
| Bullitt County | Established | Established | Established |
| Butler County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Caldwell County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Calloway County | Not established | Established | Established |
| Campbell County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Carlisle County | Not established | Established | Established |
| Carroll County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Carter County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Casey County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Christian County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Clark County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Clay County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Clinton County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Crittenden County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Cumberland County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Daviess County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Edmonson County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Elliott County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Estill County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Fayette County | Established | Established | Established |
| Fleming County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Floyd County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Franklin County | Established | Established | Established |
| Fulton County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Gallatin County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Garrard County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Grant County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Graves County | Not established | Established | Reported |
| Grayson County | Not established | Established | Established |
| Green County | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Greenup County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Hancock County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Hardin County | Established | Established | Established |
| Harlan County | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Harrison County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Hart County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Henderson County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Henry County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Hickman County | Not established | Established | Established |
| Hopkins County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Jackson County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Jefferson County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Jessamine County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Johnson County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Kenton County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Knott County | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Knox County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Larue County | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Laurel County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Lawrence County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Lee County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Leslie County | Reported | Reported | Not established |
| Letcher County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Lewis County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Lincoln County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Livingston County | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Logan County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Lyon County | Established | Established | Established |
| Madison County | Established | Established | Established |
| Magoffin County | Not established | Established | Established |
| Marion County | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Marshall County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Martin County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Mason County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| McCracken County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| McCreary County | Established | Established | Established |
| McLean County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Meade County | Established | Established | Established |
| Menifee County | Not established | Established | Reported |
| Mercer County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Metcalfe County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Monroe County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Montgomery County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Morgan County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Muhlenberg County | Established | Established | Established |
| Nelson County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Nicholas County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Ohio County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Oldham County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Owen County | Established | Established | Established |
| Owsley County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Pendleton County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Perry County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Pike County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Powell County | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Pulaski County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Robertson County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Rockcastle County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Rowan County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Russell County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Scott County | Established | Established | Established |
| Shelby County | Not established | Established | Established |
| Simpson County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Spencer County | Not established | Established | Established |
| Taylor County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Todd County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Trigg County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Trimble County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Union County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Warren County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Washington County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Wayne County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Webster County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Whitley County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Wolfe County | Established | Established | Established |
| Woodford County | Established | Reported | Established |
Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome
The lone star tick is established in Kentucky in 86 of 120 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 Kentucky 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 Kentucky?
- Kentucky 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 Kentucky tick carries Lyme disease?
- The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Kentucky. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
- Are there lone star ticks in Kentucky?
- Yes. The lone star tick is established in Kentucky, in 86 of the state's 120 counties (Adair County, Allen County, Anderson 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.