TickZone

Checked against CDC guidance, sources cited on this page. Last reviewed July 1, 2026. Who makes TickZone

Tick Identification in Ohio

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

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 Ohio

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

Established in Ohio

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 →
Rocky Mountain wood tick, brown-bodied with an ornate off-white and gray marbled shield behind the head, resembling the American dog tick

Rocky Mountain wood tick

Dermacentor andersoni

Not established in Ohio

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
Full rocky mountain wood tick guide →
Pacific Coast tick, brown with a marbled silvery and gray ornate shield and long mouthparts

Pacific Coast tick

Dermacentor occidentalis

Not established in Ohio

Size:
Larger, an apple seed
Look for:
Brown with a marbled silvery-gray ornate shield
Carries:
Pacific Coast tick fever, tularemia
Full pacific coast tick guide →

Ohio 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 Ohio county

These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in Ohio: 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 CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Allen CountyNot establishedEstablishedNot established
Ashland CountyEstablishedReportedReported
Ashtabula CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Athens CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Auglaize CountyReportedEstablishedReported
Belmont CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Brown CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Butler CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Carroll CountyEstablishedReportedNot established
Champaign CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Clark CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Clermont CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Clinton CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Columbiana CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Coshocton CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Crawford CountyReportedReportedReported
Cuyahoga CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Darke CountyEstablishedReportedReported
Defiance CountyNot establishedEstablishedNot established
Delaware CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Erie CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Fairfield CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Fayette CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Franklin CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Fulton CountyEstablishedReportedReported
Gallia CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Geauga CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Greene CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Guernsey CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Hamilton CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Hancock CountyNot establishedEstablishedReported
Hardin CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Harrison CountyEstablishedReportedNot established
Henry CountyNot establishedReportedNot established
Highland CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Hocking CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Holmes CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Huron CountyEstablishedReportedNot established
Jackson CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Jefferson CountyEstablishedReportedNot established
Knox CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Lake CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Lawrence CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Licking CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Logan CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Lorain CountyReportedEstablishedNot established
Lucas CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Madison CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Mahoning CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Marion CountyReportedEstablishedNot established
Medina CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Meigs CountyEstablishedReportedEstablished
Mercer CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Miami CountyReportedReportedReported
Monroe CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Montgomery CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Morgan CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Morrow CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Muskingum CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Noble CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Ottawa CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Paulding CountyReportedReportedNot established
Perry CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Pickaway CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Pike CountyEstablishedReportedEstablished
Portage CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Preble CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Putnam CountyNot establishedReportedNot established
Richland CountyEstablishedReportedReported
Ross CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Sandusky CountyEstablishedReportedNot established
Scioto CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Seneca CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Shelby CountyEstablishedReportedNot established
Stark CountyEstablishedReportedEstablished
Summit CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Trumbull CountyEstablishedReportedReported
Tuscarawas CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Union CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Van Wert CountyNot establishedReportedNot established
Vinton CountyEstablishedEstablishedEstablished
Warren CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Washington CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Wayne CountyEstablishedReportedNot established
Williams CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established
Wood CountyEstablishedEstablishedReported
Wyandot CountyEstablishedEstablishedNot established

Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome

The lone star tick is established in Ohio in 19 of 88 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 Ohio because they are so easy to miss. When you check for ticks, look for the small ones too, especially in June and July.

Ohio tick risk by town

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

See Ohio →

Tick identification chart

The national chart, plus identification for other states.

All states →

Frequently asked questions

What types of ticks live in Ohio?
Ohio 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 Ohio tick carries Lyme disease?
The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Ohio. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
Are there lone star ticks in Ohio?
Yes. The lone star tick is established in Ohio, in 19 of the state's 88 counties (Adams County, Athens County, Cuyahoga 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.

Tick risk where you live

Tick activity is local and changes daily. Pick your state for tick season dates, the species that live there, and a daily tick-risk score for every town.