Deer tick
Ixodes scapularis
Established in Virginia
- 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 Virginia
The ticks you are most likely to find in Virginia, 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 Virginia
- 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 Virginia
- 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
Virginia 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 Virginia county
These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in Virginia: 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Accomack County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Albemarle County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Alexandria city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Alleghany County | Established | Not established | Established | Reported |
| Amherst County | Established | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Appomattox County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Augusta County | Established | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Bedford County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Botetourt County | Not established | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Bristol city County | Established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Brunswick County | Reported | Not established | Established | Reported |
| Buchanan County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Buckingham County | Established | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Buena Vista city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Campbell County | Not established | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Caroline County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Carroll County | Established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Charlotte County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Charlottesville city County | Not established | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Chesapeake city County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Clarke County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Colonial Heights city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Covington city County | Established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Craig County | Established | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Culpeper County | Reported | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Danville city County | Established | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Dickenson County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Dinwiddie County | Reported | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Emporia city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Essex County | Reported | Established | Established | Reported |
| Fairfax County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Fairfax city County | Not established | Not established | Established | Reported |
| Falls Church city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Fauquier County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Floyd County | Established | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Franklin County | Established | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Franklin city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Frederick County | Established | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Fredericksburg city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Galax city County | Established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Giles County | Established | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Grayson County | Established | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Greene County | Established | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Greensville County | Reported | Not established | Established | Reported |
| Halifax County | Not established | Not established | Established | Reported |
| Hampton city County | Established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Hanover County | Reported | Established | Established | Reported |
| Harrisonburg city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Henry County | Established | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Highland County | Established | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Hopewell city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Isle of Wight County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| King William County | Not established | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Lancaster County | Reported | Established | Established | Reported |
| Lee County | Established | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Lexington city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Loudoun County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Louisa County | Not established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Lunenburg County | Not established | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Lynchburg city County | Established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Madison County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Manassas city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Manassas Park city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Martinsville city County | Established | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Mecklenburg County | Reported | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Middlesex County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Montgomery County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Newport News city County | Established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Norfolk city County | Reported | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Northampton County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Norton city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Nottoway County | Not established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Orange County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Page County | Not established | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Patrick County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Petersburg city County | Not established | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Pittsylvania County | Established | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Poquoson city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Portsmouth city County | Established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Prince Edward County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Prince William County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Pulaski County | Established | Reported | Reported | Reported |
| Radford city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Rappahannock County | Reported | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Richmond County | Reported | Established | Established | Reported |
| Richmond city County | Not established | Reported | Established | Reported |
| Roanoke County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Roanoke city County | Not established | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Rockbridge County | Established | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Rockingham County | Established | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Russell County | Established | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Salem city County | Not established | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Scott County | Established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Shenandoah County | Reported | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Smyth County | Established | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Southampton County | Established | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Staunton city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Suffolk city County | Established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Surry County | Not established | Not established | Established | Reported |
| Sussex County | Reported | Established | Established | Reported |
| Tazewell County | Established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Virginia Beach city County | Established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Warren County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Washington County | Established | Reported | Not established | Reported |
| Waynesboro city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Westmoreland County | Established | Established | Established | Reported |
| Williamsburg city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Winchester city County | Not established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Wise County | Established | Not established | Not established | Reported |
| Wythe County | Established | Reported | Not established | Reported |
Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome
The lone star tick is established in Virginia, including Accomack County, Albemarle County, Alleghany County, Amherst County, Appomattox County, Bedford County, Brunswick County, Buckingham County, Caroline County, Chesapeake city County, Clarke County, Craig County, Danville city County, Essex County, Fairfax County, Fairfax city County, Fauquier County, Greensville County, Halifax County, Hanover County, Isle of Wight County, Lancaster County, Lee County, Loudoun County, Louisa County, Martinsville city County, Mecklenburg County, Middlesex County, Montgomery County, Northampton County, Nottoway County, Orange County, Patrick County, Pittsylvania County, Prince Edward County, Prince William County, Richmond County, Richmond city County, Roanoke County, Surry County, Sussex County, Warren County, Westmoreland 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 Virginia 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 Virginia?
- Virginia 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 Virginia tick carries Lyme disease?
- The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in Virginia. The American dog tick and lone star tick do not carry Lyme, though they can transmit other illnesses.
- Are there lone star ticks in Virginia?
- Yes. The lone star tick is established in Virginia, including Accomack County, Albemarle County, Alleghany County, Amherst County, Appomattox County, Bedford County, Brunswick County, Buckingham County, Caroline County, Chesapeake city County, Clarke County, Craig County, Danville city County, Essex County, Fairfax County, Fairfax city County, Fauquier County, Greensville County, Halifax County, Hanover County, Isle of Wight County, Lancaster County, Lee County, Loudoun County, Louisa County, Martinsville city County, Mecklenburg County, Middlesex County, Montgomery County, Northampton County, Nottoway County, Orange County, Patrick County, Pittsylvania County, Prince Edward County, Prince William County, Richmond County, Richmond city County, Roanoke County, Surry County, Sussex County, Warren County, Westmoreland 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.