Deer tick
Ixodes scapularis
Established in West 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 West Virginia
The ticks you are most likely to find in West 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 West 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 West 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
Rocky Mountain wood tick
Dermacentor andersoni
Not established in West Virginia
- 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 West Virginia
- Size:
- Larger, an apple seed
- Look for:
- Brown with a marbled silvery-gray ornate shield
- Carries:
- Pacific Coast tick fever, tularemia
West 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 West Virginia county
These are the three ticks CDC maps county by county, not the only ticks in West 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barbour County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Berkeley County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Boone County | Established | Established | Established |
| Braxton County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Brooke County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Cabell County | Established | Established | Established |
| Calhoun County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Clay County | Reported | Established | Not established |
| Doddridge County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Fayette County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Gilmer County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Grant County | Established | Established | Established |
| Greenbrier County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Hampshire County | Established | Established | Established |
| Hancock County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Hardy County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Harrison County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Jackson County | Established | Established | Established |
| Jefferson County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Kanawha County | Established | Established | Established |
| Lewis County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Lincoln County | Reported | Established | Established |
| Logan County | Established | Established | Established |
| Marion County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Marshall County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Mason County | Reported | Established | Established |
| McDowell County | Not established | Established | Not established |
| Mercer County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Mineral County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Mingo County | Established | Established | Established |
| Monongalia County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Monroe County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Morgan County | Established | Reported | Reported |
| Nicholas County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Ohio County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Pendleton County | Not established | Reported | Reported |
| Pleasants County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Pocahontas County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Preston County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Putnam County | Established | Established | Established |
| Raleigh County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Randolph County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Ritchie County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Roane County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Summers County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Taylor County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Tucker County | Established | Not established | Reported |
| Tyler County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Upshur County | Established | Established | Reported |
| Wayne County | Reported | Reported | Established |
| Webster County | Established | Reported | Not established |
| Wetzel County | Established | Established | Not established |
| Wirt County | Established | Not established | Not established |
| Wood County | Established | Established | Established |
| Wyoming County | Not established | Reported | Not established |
Lone star ticks and alpha-gal syndrome
The lone star tick is established in West Virginia in 13 of 55 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 West 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 West Virginia?
- West 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 West Virginia tick carries Lyme disease?
- The deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, is the tick that spreads Lyme disease in West 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 West Virginia?
- Yes. The lone star tick is established in West Virginia, in 13 of the state's 55 counties (Boone County, Cabell County, Grant 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.