Deer tick
Ixodes scapularis
Established in Mississippi
- 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 Mississippi
The ticks you are most likely to find in Mississippi, 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 Mississippi
- 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 Mississippi
- 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 Mississippi
- 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 Mississippi
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with a marbled silvery-gray ornate shield
- Carries:
- Pacific Coast tick fever, tularemia
Mississippi 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 Mississippi county
These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in Mississippi: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adams County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Alcorn County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Amite County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Attala County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Benton County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Bolivar County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Calhoun County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Carroll County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Chickasaw County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Choctaw County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Claiborne County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Clarke County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Clay County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Coahoma County | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Copiah County | Established | Established | Established |
| Covington County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| DeSoto County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Forrest County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Franklin County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| George County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Greene County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Grenada County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Hancock County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Harrison County | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Hinds County | Established | Established | Established |
| Holmes County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Humphreys County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Issaquena County | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Itawamba County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Jackson County | Established | Established | Established |
| Jasper County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Jefferson County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Jefferson Davis County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Jones County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Kemper County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Lafayette County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Lamar County | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Lauderdale County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Lawrence County | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Leake County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Lee County | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Leflore County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Lincoln County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Lowndes County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Madison County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Marion County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Marshall County | Established | Established | Established |
| Monroe County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Montgomery County | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Neshoba County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Newton County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Noxubee County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Oktibbeha County | Established | Established | Established |
| Panola County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Pearl River County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Perry County | Established | Established | Established |
| Pike County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Pontotoc County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Prentiss County | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Quitman County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Rankin County | Established | Established | Established |
| Scott County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Sharkey County | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Simpson County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Smith County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Stone County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Sunflower County | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Tallahatchie County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Tate County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Tippah County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Tishomingo County | Established | Established | Established |
| Tunica County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Union County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Walthall County | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Warren County | Established | Established | Established |
| Washington County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Wayne County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Webster County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Wilkinson County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Winston County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Yalobusha County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Yazoo County | Established | Reported | Established |
Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome
The lone star tick is established in Mississippi in 58 of 82 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 Mississippi 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 Mississippi?
- Mississippi 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 Mississippi tick carries Lyme disease?
- The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Mississippi. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
- Are there lone star ticks in Mississippi?
- Yes. The lone star tick is established in Mississippi, in 58 of the state's 82 counties (Adams County, Alcorn County, Attala 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.