Deer tick
Ixodes scapularis
Not established in Utah
- 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 Utah
The ticks you are most likely to find in Utah, 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
Reported in Utah
- 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
Not established in Utah
- 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
Established in Utah
- 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 Utah
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with a marbled silvery-gray ornate shield
- Carries:
- Pacific Coast tick fever, tularemia
Utah 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 Utah county
These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in Utah: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beaver County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Box Elder County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Cache County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Carbon County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Daggett County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Davis County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Duchesne County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Emery County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Garfield County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Grand County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Iron County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Juab County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Kane County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Millard County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Morgan County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Piute County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Rich County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Salt Lake County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| San Juan County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Sanpete County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Sevier County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Summit County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Tooele County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Uintah County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Utah County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Wasatch County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Washington County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Wayne County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
| Weber County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
Do not overlook the tiny ones
Nymph deer ticks are the size of a poppy seed and cause most Lyme cases in Utah 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 Utah?
- Utah has the deer tick (blacklegged tick), which carries Lyme disease and is not established across the state; the American dog tick, which is reported; and the lone star tick, which is not established and causes alpha-gal syndrome. County-level presence is shown in the table above.
- Which Utah tick carries Lyme disease?
- The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Utah. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
- Are there lone star ticks in Utah?
- The lone star tick is not established in Utah in current CDC county surveillance, but ranges are expanding northward, so this can change. 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.