TickZone

Tick Identification in Nebraska

The ticks you are most likely to find in Nebraska, 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 Nebraska

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 Nebraska

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

Reported in Nebraska

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 →

Nebraska 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 Nebraska county

These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in Nebraska: 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 tick
Adams CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Antelope CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Arthur CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Blaine CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Boone CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Box Butte CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Boyd CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Brown CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Buffalo CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Burt CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Butler CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Cass CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Cedar CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Chase CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Cherry CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Cheyenne CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Clay CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Colfax CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Cuming CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Custer CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Dakota CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Dawes CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Dawson CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Deuel CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Dixon CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Dodge CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Douglas CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Dundy CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Fillmore CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Franklin CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Frontier CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Furnas CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Gage CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Garden CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Garfield CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Gosper CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Grant CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Greeley CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Hall CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Hamilton CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Harlan CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Hayes CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Hitchcock CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Holt CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Hooker CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Howard CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Jefferson CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Johnson CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Kearney CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Keith CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Keya Paha CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Kimball CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Knox CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Lancaster CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Lincoln CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Logan CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Loup CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Madison CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Merrick CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Morrill CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Nance CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Nemaha CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Nuckolls CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Otoe CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Pawnee CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Perkins CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Phelps CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Pierce CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Platte CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Polk CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Red Willow CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Richardson CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Rock CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Saline CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Sarpy CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Saunders CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Scotts Bluff CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Seward CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Sheridan CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Sherman CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Sioux CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Stanton CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Thayer CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Thomas CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Thurston CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Valley CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Washington CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Wayne CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Webster CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Wheeler CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
York CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported

Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome

The lone star tick is reported in Nebraska. 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 Nebraska because they are so easy to miss. When you check for ticks, look for the small ones too, especially in June and July.

Nebraska tick risk by town

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

See Nebraska →

Tick identification chart

The national chart, plus identification for other states.

All states →

Frequently asked questions

What types of ticks live in Nebraska?
Nebraska 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 reported and causes alpha-gal syndrome. County-level presence is shown in the table above.
Which Nebraska tick carries Lyme disease?
The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Nebraska. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
Are there lone star ticks in Nebraska?
Yes. The lone star tick is reported in Nebraska. 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.