Ticks

Tick ID

The following information is taken from the University of Rhode Island's TickEncounter website.

Blacklegged Tick (Ixodes scapularis)

Blacklegged ticks (a.k.a deer ticks) take 2 years to complete their life cycle from eggs and larvae in one calendar year to nymphs and adults in the next. This tick is encountered predominately in deciduous forest as well as tall grasslands and shrubs bordering forest edges, yards, and gardens. Their distribution relies greatly on the distribution of their reproductive host, white-tailed deer. Both the poppy seed-sized nymph stage and the larger adult female stage are responsible for transmitting diseases such as Lyme disease, Babesiosis, and Anaplasmosis.

Larva are active April - November and most active in late summer.

Nymphs are active April - November.

Adults are active throughout the year. Adult females become dormant as the temperature drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit and will be active on winter days when the ground temperatures are above 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis)

American dog ticks are found over most of North America, predominantly along forest edges and in areas with little or no tree cover, such as grassy fields and scrubland, as well as along walkways, sidewalks, and trails. American dog ticks are 3-host ticks (use 3 different hosts in their lifecycle) feeding on people and a variety of animals ranging in size from rodents to livestock. Adult stages prefer medium-sized hosts, including racoons, skunks, cats, dogs and other canids. Larvae and nymphs mainly infest small mammals including mice, voles, rats, and chipmunks. Nymphs and adults can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and lesser pathogenic spotted fever group germs as well. They also transmit the germ causing Tularemia. American dog ticks can survive for up to 2 years at any given life stage if no host is found.

Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum)

Lone Star ticks are found mostly in woodlands with dense undergrowth and around animal resting areas. The larvae do not carry disease-causing germs (although they still inject allergic saliva when they bite), but the nymphal and adult stages can transmit the germs causing Ehrlichiosis, Heartland virus disease, Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI), Bourbon virus disease, and Tularemia. Lone Star ticks are aggressive human biters, and their bite is associated with the development of a red meat allergy (Alpha-Gal Syndrome) in some people.

While Lone Star ticks are not found in St. Lawrence County, they are found in New York State.

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Lyme Disease

The following information is taken from the Centers for Disease Control's pages on Lyme Disease.
Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and is transmitted to humans by the bite of infected black-legged ticks. Typical symptoms include fever, headache, fatigue, and a characteristic skin rash called erythema migrans. If left untreated, infection can spread to joints, the heart, and the nervous system. Lyme disease is diagnosed based on symptoms, physical findings (e.g., rash), and the possibility of exposure to infected ticks; laboratory testing is helpful in the later stages of disease. Most cases of Lyme disease can be treated successfully with a few weeks of antibiotics. Steps to prevent Lyme disease include using insect repellent, removing ticks promptly, landscaping, and integrated pest management. The ticks that transmit Lyme disease can occasionally transmit other tick-borne diseases as well.

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What If I Don't Have A Rash?

The CDC states that the Erythema migrans (EM) rash occurs within 3 to 30 days after a tick bite " in approximately 70 to 80 percent of infected persons" however, the education and advocacy group LymeDisease.org points out that "surveillance cases may reflect a higher percentage of people with a rash than are present in the normal population of people with Lyme disease". Clinical and population based estimates give a lower rate, ranging from 27% to 40% of individuals who are infected with Lyme exhibiting the rash. Individuals who have been bitten by ticks and do not have the Erythema migrans rash may still be infected with Lyme Disease.

Other serious symptoms may occur days to months after the bite including heart palpitations or an irregular heart beat (Lyme carditis), inflammation of the brain and spinal cord, and problems with short term memory. Learn the many early and later symptoms of Lyme Disease at the CDC's ' Signs and Symptoms of Untreated Lyme Disease" page.

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Additional Resources

The New York State Department of Health page includes information on Lyme disease and other diseases spread by ticks, and suggested repellants.  Note that tick identification services are no longer available through the NYS Department of Health.

Upstate Tick Testing Laboratory will test ticks for up to 16 tick-borne pathogens for a fee ($20 - $80). They produce a tickMAP which tracks the emergence of ticks and tick-borne pathogens.

TickCheck will test ticks for up to 32 tick-borne pathogens for a fee ($49.99 - $199.99). 

About Ticks and Tickborne Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Describes diseases transmitted by ticks, symptoms, and how it spreads.

Learn About Lyme Disease, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Covers prevention, transmission, symptoms, diagnoses, treatment, statistics, resources, and contacts. CDC's YouTube page shows How to Correctly Remove a Tick. 

The Tick Management Handbook (8800 kb, PDF) an 84-page guide for homeowners, pest control operators, and public health officials for the prevention of tick-associated disease, compiled by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.

Insect Repellents: Use and Effectiveness, Environmental Protection Agency, 2010. This EPA fact sheet includes a tool for identifying a skin-applied repellent that is appropriate for repelling ticks and/or mosquitos, instructions on how to apply, and length of effectiveness.

Workplace Safety for Tick-Borne Diseases, National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health, 2010. Discusses occupations at risk for contracting Lyme Disease, recommendations for employers, and recommendations for workers.

Integrated Pest Management for Ticks (Cornell University Dept. of Entomology) covers distribution in NY State; description, life-cycle and biology of the tick; personal protection; surveying for tick presence; landscape management; and behavioral consideration.

Tick Biology for the Homeowner (Cornell University) covers several tick species found in New York State, identification, guidelines for safe removal, and personal protective measures.

Last updated October 29, 2025