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.

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.

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.

Deer tick

Ixodes scapularis

Carries Lyme

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

Full deer tick guide →

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)

Full american dog tick guide →

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

Full lone star tick guide →

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 →

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 →

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 →

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	Gulf Coast tick
Adair County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Allen County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Anderson County	Not established	Not established	Established	Reported
Ballard County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Barren County	Not established	Reported	Reported	Reported
Bath County	Reported	Reported	Reported	Reported
Bell County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Boone County	Established	Established	Reported	Reported
Bourbon County	Not established	Established	Reported	Reported
Boyd County	Established	Not established	Reported	Reported
Boyle County	Reported	Not established	Not established	Reported
Bracken County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Breathitt County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Breckinridge County	Not established	Established	Established	Reported
Bullitt County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Butler County	Reported	Not established	Established	Reported
Caldwell County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Calloway County	Not established	Established	Established	Reported
Campbell County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Carlisle County	Not established	Established	Established	Reported
Carroll County	Established	Not established	Reported	Reported
Carter County	Established	Not established	Reported	Reported
Casey County	Established	Reported	Reported	Reported
Christian County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Clark County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Clay County	Established	Not established	Established	Reported
Clinton County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Crittenden County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Cumberland County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Daviess County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Edmonson County	Established	Not established	Established	Reported
Elliott County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Estill County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Fayette County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Fleming County	Not established	Reported	Reported	Reported
Floyd County	Established	Not established	Not established	Reported
Franklin County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Fulton County	Not established	Not established	Not established	Reported
Gallatin County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Garrard County	Not established	Reported	Reported	Reported
Grant County	Not established	Not established	Not established	Reported
Graves County	Not established	Established	Reported	Reported
Grayson County	Not established	Established	Established	Reported
Green County	Not established	Not established	Established	Reported
Greenup County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Hancock County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Hardin County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Harlan County	Reported	Not established	Not established	Reported
Harrison County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Hart County	Reported	Reported	Reported	Reported
Henderson County	Not established	Reported	Not established	Reported
Henry County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Hickman County	Not established	Established	Established	Reported
Hopkins County	Established	Not established	Established	Reported
Jackson County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Jefferson County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Jessamine County	Established	Reported	Reported	Reported
Johnson County	Established	Not established	Established	Reported
Kenton County	Not established	Reported	Not established	Reported
Knott County	Not established	Not established	Established	Reported
Knox County	Established	Not established	Not established	Reported
Larue County	Not established	Not established	Reported	Reported
Laurel County	Established	Not established	Not established	Reported
Lawrence County	Not established	Not established	Not established	Reported
Lee County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Leslie County	Reported	Reported	Not established	Reported
Letcher County	Not established	Reported	Reported	Reported
Lewis County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Lincoln County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Livingston County	Not established	Not established	Established	Reported
Logan County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Lyon County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Madison County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Magoffin County	Not established	Established	Established	Reported
Marion County	Reported	Not established	Not established	Reported
Marshall County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Martin County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Mason County	Not established	Reported	Not established	Reported
McCracken County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
McLean County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Meade County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Menifee County	Not established	Established	Reported	Reported
Mercer County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Metcalfe County	Reported	Not established	Established	Reported
Monroe County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Montgomery County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Morgan County	Reported	Not established	Established	Reported
Muhlenberg County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Nelson County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Nicholas County	Established	Established	Reported	Reported
Ohio County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Oldham County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Owen County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Owsley County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Pendleton County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Perry County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Pike County	Established	Established	Reported	Reported
Powell County	Not established	Not established	Established	Reported
Pulaski County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Robertson County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Rockcastle County	Established	Reported	Reported	Reported
Rowan County	Reported	Not established	Established	Reported
Russell County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Scott County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Shelby County	Not established	Established	Established	Reported
Simpson County	Not established	Not established	Not established	Reported
Spencer County	Not established	Established	Established	Reported
Taylor County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Todd County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Trigg County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Trimble County	Established	Not established	Established	Reported
Union County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Warren County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Washington County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Wayne County	Not established	Not established	Not established	Reported
Webster County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Whitley County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Wolfe County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Woodford County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported

Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome

The lone star tick is established in Kentucky, including Adair County, Allen County, Anderson County, Ballard County, Bell County, Bracken County, Breathitt County, Breckinridge County, Bullitt County, Butler County, Caldwell County, Calloway County, Campbell County, Carlisle County, Christian County, Clark County, Clay County, Clinton County, Crittenden County, Cumberland County, Daviess County, Edmonson County, Elliott County, Estill County, Fayette County, Franklin County, Gallatin County, Grayson County, Green County, Greenup County, Hancock County, Hardin County, Harrison County, Henry County, Hickman County, Hopkins County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Johnson County, Knott County, Lee County, Lewis County, Lincoln County, Livingston County, Logan County, Lyon County, Madison County, Magoffin County, Marshall County, Martin County, McCracken County, McLean County, Meade County, Mercer County, Metcalfe County, Monroe County, Montgomery County, Morgan County, Muhlenberg County, Nelson County, Ohio County, Oldham County, Owen County, Owsley County, Pendleton County, Perry County, Powell County, Pulaski County, Robertson County, Rowan County, Russell County, Scott County, Shelby County, Spencer County, Taylor County, Todd County, Trigg County, Trimble County, Union County, Warren County, Washington County, Webster County, Whitley County, Wolfe County, Woodford 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 Kentucky because they are so easy to miss. When you check for ticks, look for the small ones too, especially in June and July.

Kentucky tick risk by town

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

See Kentucky →

Tick identification chart

The national chart, plus identification for other states.

All states →

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, including Adair County, Allen County, Anderson County, Ballard County, Bell County, Bracken County, Breathitt County, Breckinridge County, Bullitt County, Butler County, Caldwell County, Calloway County, Campbell County, Carlisle County, Christian County, Clark County, Clay County, Clinton County, Crittenden County, Cumberland County, Daviess County, Edmonson County, Elliott County, Estill County, Fayette County, Franklin County, Gallatin County, Grayson County, Green County, Greenup County, Hancock County, Hardin County, Harrison County, Henry County, Hickman County, Hopkins County, Jackson County, Jefferson County, Johnson County, Knott County, Lee County, Lewis County, Lincoln County, Livingston County, Logan County, Lyon County, Madison County, Magoffin County, Marshall County, Martin County, McCracken County, McLean County, Meade County, Mercer County, Metcalfe County, Monroe County, Montgomery County, Morgan County, Muhlenberg County, Nelson County, Ohio County, Oldham County, Owen County, Owsley County, Pendleton County, Perry County, Powell County, Pulaski County, Robertson County, Rowan County, Russell County, Scott County, Shelby County, Spencer County, Taylor County, Todd County, Trigg County, Trimble County, Union County, Warren County, Washington County, Webster County, Whitley County, Wolfe County, Woodford 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.