Deer tick
Ixodes scapularis
Established in New York
- 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 New York
The ticks you are most likely to find in New York, 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 New York
- 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 New York
- 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 New York
- 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 New York
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with a marbled silvery-gray ornate shield
- Carries:
- Pacific Coast tick fever, tularemia
New York 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 New York county
These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in New York: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albany County | Established | Established | Established |
| Allegany County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Bronx County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Broome County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Cattaraugus County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Cayuga County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Chautauqua County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Chemung County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Chenango County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Clinton County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Columbia County | Established | Established | Established |
| Cortland County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Delaware County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Dutchess County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Erie County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Essex County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Franklin County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Fulton County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Genesee County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Greene County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Hamilton County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Herkimer County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Jefferson County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Kings County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Lewis County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Livingston County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Madison County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Monroe County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Montgomery County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Nassau County | Established | Established | Established |
| New York County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Niagara County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Oneida County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Onondaga County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Ontario County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Orange County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Orleans County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Oswego County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Otsego County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Putnam County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Queens County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Rensselaer County | Established | Established | Established |
| Richmond County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Rockland County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Saratoga County | Established | Established | Established |
| Schenectady County | Established | Established | Established |
| Schoharie County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Schuyler County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Seneca County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| St. Lawrence County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Steuben County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Suffolk County | Established | Established | Established |
| Sullivan County | Established | Established | Established |
| Tioga County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Tompkins County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Ulster County | Established | Established | Established |
| Warren County | Established | Established | Established |
| Washington County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Wayne County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Westchester County | Established | Established | Established |
| Wyoming County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Yates County | Established | Not established | Not established |
Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome
The lone star tick is established in New York in 19 of 62 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 New York 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 New York?
- New York 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 New York tick carries Lyme disease?
- The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in New York. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
- Are there lone star ticks in New York?
- Yes. The lone star tick is established in New York, in 19 of the state's 62 counties (Albany County, Broome County, Cattaraugus 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.