Deer tick
Ixodes scapularis
Established in North Carolina
- 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 North Carolina
The ticks you are most likely to find in North Carolina, 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 North Carolina
- 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 North Carolina
- 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 North Carolina
- 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 North Carolina
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with a marbled silvery-gray ornate shield
- Carries:
- Pacific Coast tick fever, tularemia
North Carolina 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 North Carolina county
These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in North Carolina: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alamance County | Established | Established | Established |
| Alexander County | Established | Not established | Established |
| Alleghany County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Anson County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Ashe County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Avery County | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Beaufort County | Established | Established | Established |
| Bertie County | Established | Established | Established |
| Bladen County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Brunswick County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Buncombe County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Burke County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Cabarrus County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Caldwell County | Established | Established | Established |
| Carteret County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Caswell County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Catawba County | Reported | Reported | Not established |
| Chatham County | Established | Established | Established |
| Cherokee County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Chowan County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Clay County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Cleveland County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Columbus County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Craven County | Established | Established | Established |
| Cumberland County | Established | Established | Established |
| Currituck County | Established | Established | Established |
| Dare County | Established | Established | Established |
| Davidson County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Davie County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Duplin County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Durham County | Established | Established | Established |
| Edgecombe County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Forsyth County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Franklin County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Gaston County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Gates County | Established | Established | Established |
| Graham County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Granville County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Greene County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Guilford County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Halifax County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Harnett County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Haywood County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Henderson County | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Hertford County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Hoke County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Iredell County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Jackson County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Johnston County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Jones County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Lee County | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Lenoir County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Lincoln County | Not established | Established | Not established |
| Macon County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Madison County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Martin County | Established | Reported | Established |
| McDowell County | Reported | Not established | Not established |
| Mecklenburg County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Mitchell County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Montgomery County | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Moore County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Nash County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| New Hanover County | Established | Established | Established |
| Northampton County | Not established | Reported | Established |
| Onslow County | Established | Established | Established |
| Orange County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Pamlico County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Pasquotank County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Pender County | Established | Established | Established |
| Perquimans County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Person County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Pitt County | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Polk County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Randolph County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Richmond County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Robeson County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Rockingham County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Rowan County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Rutherford County | Reported | Not established | Established |
| Sampson County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Scotland County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Stanly County | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Stokes County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Surry County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Swain County | Not established | Not established | Established |
| Transylvania County | Not established | Established | Not established |
| Tyrrell County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Union County | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Vance County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Wake County | Established | Established | Established |
| Warren County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Washington County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Watauga County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Wayne County | Established | Reported | Established |
| Wilkes County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Wilson County | Not established | Not established | Not established |
| Yadkin County | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Yancey County | Established | Not established | Not established |
Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome
The lone star tick is established in North Carolina in 47 of 98 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 North Carolina 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 North Carolina?
- North Carolina 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 North Carolina tick carries Lyme disease?
- The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in North Carolina. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
- Are there lone star ticks in North Carolina?
- Yes. The lone star tick is established in North Carolina, in 47 of the state's 98 counties (Alamance County, Alexander County, Anson 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.