What types of ticks live in Tennessee?

Tennessee 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 Tennessee tick carries Lyme disease?

The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Tennessee. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.

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 Identification in Tennessee

The ticks you are most likely to find in Tennessee, 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.

Deer tick

Ixodes scapularis

Carries Lyme

Established in Tennessee

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 →

American dog tick

Dermacentor variabilis

Established in Tennessee

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 →

Lone star tick

Amblyomma americanum

Established in Tennessee

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 →

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 →

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 →

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 →

Tennessee 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 Tennessee county

These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in Tennessee: 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	Gulf Coast tick
Anderson County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Bedford County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Benton County	Reported	Not established	Established	Reported
Bledsoe County	Reported	Not established	Reported	Reported
Blount County	Not established	Established	Reported	Reported
Bradley County	Not established	Established	Reported	Reported
Campbell County	Established	Not established	Reported	Reported
Cannon County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Carroll County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Carter County	Established	Established	Not established	Reported
Cheatham County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Chester County	Not established	Reported	Reported	Reported
Claiborne County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Clay County	Reported	Not established	Not established	Reported
Cocke County	Not established	Not established	Reported	Reported
Coffee County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Crockett County	Not established	Reported	Reported	Reported
Cumberland County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Davidson County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Decatur County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
DeKalb County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Dickson County	Not established	Established	Established	Reported
Dyer County	Not established	Reported	Not established	Reported
Fayette County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Fentress County	Reported	Not established	Reported	Reported
Franklin County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Gibson County	Not established	Reported	Not established	Reported
Giles County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Grainger County	Reported	Reported	Not established	Reported
Greene County	Not established	Established	Not established	Reported
Grundy County	Not established	Not established	Not established	Reported
Hamblen County	Not established	Not established	Not established	Reported
Hamilton County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Hancock County	Not established	Established	Not established	Reported
Hardeman County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Hardin County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Hawkins County	Not established	Reported	Not established	Reported
Haywood County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Henderson County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Henry County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Hickman County	Not established	Not established	Reported	Reported
Houston County	Not established	Not established	Reported	Reported
Humphreys County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Jackson County	Established	Not established	Reported	Reported
Jefferson County	Not established	Established	Not established	Reported
Johnson County	Not established	Reported	Reported	Reported
Knox County	Established	Established	Reported	Reported
Lake County	Reported	Not established	Not established	Reported
Lauderdale County	Reported	Reported	Not established	Reported
Lawrence County	Established	Not established	Reported	Reported
Lewis County	Not established	Established	Established	Reported
Lincoln County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Loudon County	Established	Established	Reported	Reported
Macon County	Not established	Reported	Not established	Reported
Madison County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Marion County	Established	Not established	Established	Reported
Marshall County	Established	Not established	Established	Reported
Maury County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
McMinn County	Not established	Reported	Reported	Reported
McNairy County	Not established	Reported	Reported	Reported
Meigs County	Not established	Not established	Established	Reported
Monroe County	Not established	Established	Reported	Reported
Montgomery County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Moore County	Not established	Reported	Not established	Reported
Morgan County	Reported	Reported	Reported	Reported
Obion County	Reported	Reported	Reported	Reported
Overton County	Not established	Not established	Reported	Reported
Perry County	Not established	Reported	Reported	Reported
Pickett County	Reported	Not established	Not established	Reported
Polk County	Not established	Not established	Reported	Reported
Putnam County	Not established	Reported	Reported	Reported
Rhea County	Established	Not established	Established	Reported
Roane County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Robertson County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Rutherford County	Reported	Reported	Established	Reported
Scott County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Sequatchie County	Reported	Not established	Established	Reported
Sevier County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Shelby County	Established	Established	Established	Reported
Smith County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Stewart County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Sullivan County	Not established	Established	Reported	Reported
Sumner County	Reported	Established	Established	Reported
Tipton County	Reported	Reported	Reported	Reported
Trousdale County	Not established	Reported	Reported	Reported
Unicoi County	Reported	Reported	Not established	Reported
Union County	Not established	Reported	Established	Reported
Van Buren County	Not established	Not established	Reported	Reported
Warren County	Reported	Not established	Reported	Reported
Washington County	Established	Established	Not established	Reported
Wayne County	Reported	Not established	Reported	Reported
Weakley County	Not established	Established	Reported	Reported
White County	Reported	Not established	Reported	Reported
Williamson County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported
Wilson County	Established	Reported	Established	Reported

Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome

The lone star tick is established in Tennessee, including Anderson County, Bedford County, Benton County, Cannon County, Carroll County, Cheatham County, Claiborne County, Coffee County, Cumberland County, Davidson County, Decatur County, DeKalb County, Dickson County, Fayette County, Franklin County, Giles County, Hamilton County, Hardeman County, Hardin County, Haywood County, Henderson County, Henry County, Humphreys County, Lewis County, Lincoln County, Madison County, Marion County, Marshall County, Maury County, Meigs County, Montgomery County, Rhea County, Roane County, Robertson County, Rutherford County, Scott County, Sequatchie County, Sevier County, Shelby County, Smith County, Stewart County, Sumner County, Union County, Williamson County, Wilson County. 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 Tennessee because they are so easy to miss. When you check for ticks, look for the small ones too, especially in June and July.

Tennessee tick risk by town

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

See Tennessee →

Tick identification chart

The national chart, plus identification for other states.

All states →

Frequently asked questions

What types of ticks live in Tennessee?: Tennessee 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 Tennessee tick carries Lyme disease?: The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Tennessee. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
Are there lone star ticks in Tennessee?: Yes. The lone star tick is established in Tennessee, including Anderson County, Bedford County, Benton County, Cannon County, Carroll County, Cheatham County, Claiborne County, Coffee County, Cumberland County, Davidson County, Decatur County, DeKalb County, Dickson County, Fayette County, Franklin County, Giles County, Hamilton County, Hardeman County, Hardin County, Haywood County, Henderson County, Henry County, Humphreys County, Lewis County, Lincoln County, Madison County, Marion County, Marshall County, Maury County, Meigs County, Montgomery County, Rhea County, Roane County, Robertson County, Rutherford County, Scott County, Sequatchie County, Sevier County, Shelby County, Smith County, Stewart County, Sumner County, Union County, Williamson County, Wilson County. 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.