Ticks often found in North Carolina (pictured above from left to right): Lone Star Tick, Gulf Coast Tick , Brown Dog Tick, American Dog Tick, Black-Legged Tick

Ticks & Tips

Ticks have long been pests of humans and animals in North Carolina. From the larval to the adult stages, ticks attach to a living host and feed on the host’s blood.  In doing so, they may transmit germs that cause Rocky Mountain spotted fever or Lyme disease, both of which can have serious consequences for humans. This will help you identify the several species of ticks found in North Carolina and the diseases they transmit. ​

Did You Know?!

The number of reported cases of Lyme disease in pets in North Carolina has increased 1,800% and the number of reported cases of Anaplasmosis in pets has increased 1,600% since 2011 according to CAPC.

Lone Star Tick

All stages of Amblyomma americanum, the lone star tick, readily feed on man and large wild or domestic animals such as deer and dogs. Adults and nymphs are abundant in the spring and summer months. The mite-like larvae of this species, commonly called seed ticks, are abundant in the fall. In this stage, the lone star tick readily attacks humans. This tick is found in habitats similar to those of the American dog tick. Bites from the lonestar tick can result in an illness called STARI (Southern Tick Associated Rash Infection) which exhibits a rash similar in appearance to that seen with Lyme Disease. However, this disease is not caused by the same organism that causes Lyme Disease nor has it been linked to the same arthritic, neurological, or chronic symptoms associated with Lyme Disease. The lone star tick also transmits bacteria that cause erhlichiosis. It occurs predominantly in the coastal plain, but it may be found in the North Carolina Piedmont.

Brown Dog Tick

Rhipicephalus sanguineous, the brown dog tick occurs throughout North Carolina and may be active year round. In all stages, it feeds almost exclusively on dogs and rarely attacks people. Brown dog tick females may lay egg masses in cracks and crevices along building foundations, in pet kennels, and in homes. After a few weeks, you may find several thousand larvae climbing on walls, draperies, or furniture. When uncontrolled in kennels, populations of the brown dog tick may grow to extremely high levels.

American Dog Tick

The adult American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, is active in the spring, summer, and fall. It lives along woodland paths, in recreational parks, farm pastures, wastelands, and other shrubby habitats in rural and suburban areas of North Carolina. In each stage of its life cycle, this tick may feed on a different animal. For example, the larvae feed only on white-footed field mice and meadow voles or pine voles, whereas nymphs prefer medium-sized mammals such as opossum or raccoons. Adults prefer humans and dogs as hosts. In North Carolina and throughout the southeastern United States, the American dog tick is the vector of Rocky Mountain spotted fever. However, this species does not transmit Lyme disease. The American dog tick is found throughout North Carolina, but it is most common in the Piedmont area.

Black-Legged Tick

Larvae and nymphs of Ixodes scapularis, the black-legged tick, feed on lizards and small mammals. The nymphs and adults attack small and larger mammals including dogs and deer. Adults are active in late fall, in early spring, and in winter when temperatures rise above freezing. The black-legged tick is found in the same habitats and regions of North Carolina as the lone star tick.

Gulf Coast Tick

Ambylomma maculatum in the United States where it is heavily prevalent, are mainly found in the southern states surrounding the Gulf Coast from Texas to Florida and even up the eastern coast line.  This distribution has lead to the tick’s common name of “Gulf Coast tick”.  The tick lives in areas with shrub vegetation and since it is vulnerable to desiccation in areas that do not have enough humidity or too much wind they seek out sheltered areas with good shade cover and relatively high amounts of humidity.  Amblyomma maculatum is a vector of various diseases like Rickettsia parkeri, and Hepatozoon americanum. These diseases can affect people’s ability to work, produce goods, and take time and money to treat.

How to protect yourself

  • Stay on wide clear paths and roads when possible. Avoid overgrown weedy areas where ticks are often found.
  • When practical, layer your clothing. Tuck your pant legs into your socks and your shirttail into your pants. Wearing light-colored clothing makes ticks easier to see.
  • Most commercial insect repellents are effective against ticks. Liberally apply one of these to exposed areas of your body and to your clothing. When camping, try to select an area that is not heavily infested with ticks. You can check for ticks by dragging a piece of white flannel cloth or clothing over the grass and shrubs and then examining it for ticks.
  • When you have been in a tick-infested area, examine your clothing and body at least twice each day. Frequent self-inspection lessens the chance of a tick having enough time to attach. A tick must be attached at least six hours in order to transmit disease organisms causing Rocky Mountain spotted fever and more than 24 hours to transmit Lyme Disease. Therefore, the longer that a tick is attached, the greater the chances are that the disease-causing germs will be transmitted.
  • Blood test for tick-borne diseases rely on detecting antibodies which take several weeks to reach detectable levels. Symptoms are more likely to develop before you can get an accurate test done.

How to remove a tick

  1. The risk of infection with tick-transmitted disease organisms can be greatly reduced by inspecting yourself frequently for
    ticks and promptly removing any that have attached. Applying petroleum jelly or cleaning fluid or holding a burning cigarette near an attached tick will not cause it to dislodge. Such “home remedies” irritate the skin and kill the tick, making it difficult to remove intact. Here is the best way to remove an attached tick:
  2. Protect your fingers with a piece of folded tissue paper or use tweezers. Disease organisms carried by an engorged tick may penetrate even microscopic breaks in the skin. Grasp the body of the attached tick firmly and, without twisting or jerking, pull directly away from the point of attachment, increasing the
    force gradually until the tick is pulled free.
  3. If the tick’s mouth parts break off in the skin, use a sterilized needle to remove them as you would a
    splinter.
  4. Wash the bite area with soap and water and apply an antiseptic such as alcohol.
  5. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water after removing the tick.
  6. Mark the date of the tick bite on a calendar. If you develop any symptoms of Rocky Mountain spotted fever or Lyme disease
    develop, you will be able to tell your physician when you were bitten.
  7. Save the tick by preserving it in rubbing alcohol. If you cannot identify it using the pictures in this
    publication, take it to your county Cooperative Extension Center.

Protect your pets

  • Pets may transport ticks into the family living area, so inspect them frequently for ticks.
  • Remove attached ticks from pets using the same procedures described for people. Control ticks on pets by using a monthly preventative purchased from your veterinarian.
  • Contact your county Cooperative Extension Center for advice on pesticides or you can check the NC Agricultural Chemicals Manual.

Control grounds around your home

  • Weeds and grass around homes and in public-use areas should be kept mowed to discourage rodent hosts of ticks from becoming established.
  • Reduce exposure to ticks by removing the leaf litter layer.
  • Severe tick infestations can be controlled effectively with pesticides. Uniform application is critical to achieving adequate control. If a liquid formulation is used, the ground cover in tick-infested areas should be wetted thoroughly to the soil surface. Apply granular pesticides just before rainfall or else water the granules thoroughly to assure that the pesticide is released. Keep children and pets out of treated areas until the chemical has dried.  Contact your county Cooperative Extension Center for advice on which pesticides to use against ticks or check the NC Agricultural Chemicals Manual.
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