Ticks · Amblyomma americanum, Dermacentor variabilis, Ixodes scapularis and others
Ticks
Ticks are small blood-feeding relatives of spiders that wait on grass and brush for a person or animal to brush past. The lone star, American dog and blacklegged ticks are common in Southeast Tennessee and can spread illnesses such as ehrlichiosis and spotted fever. Risk peaks in spring and summer, but some ticks stay active in winter.
Seasonal activity
When they're active in Southeast Tennessee
Tick season is in full swing; check yourself, kids and pets after time outdoors.
- January: Low
- February: Low
- March: Moderate
- April: Peak
- May: Peak
- June: Peak
- July: Peak
- August: Moderate
- September: Moderate
- October: Moderate
- November: Low
- December: Low
Signs
How to tell you have them
- Ticks crawling on pets, clothing or skin after time in the yard or on trails
- Engorged gray ticks on dogs, often around ears, neck and between toes
- Clusters of tiny seed ticks (larvae) on legs after walking through brush in late summer
- Pets scratching or chewing at one spot, or small scabs where a tick was attached
- Deer, stray dogs or wildlife regularly crossing the yard
Ticks you're likely to meet here
Each species has its own habits and disease risks. A photo of the tick helps your doctor or vet.
Lone star tick
An aggressive biter. Females have a single white dot on the back. Nymphs and adults bite people readily, and this tick can spread ehrlichiosis and tularemia and is linked to alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy. It is very common in the brushy, deer-rich areas around our towns.
American dog tick
Larger, brown with mottled white markings on both sexes. Adult females are the stage that usually bites people, mostly in spring and summer. It is a main carrier of Rocky Mountain spotted fever and also spreads tularemia.
Blacklegged (deer) tick
Small and dark, with no white markings. It carries Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Lyme is far less common in Tennessee than in the Northeast, but the risk isn't zero. Adults stay active in fall and winter whenever temperatures are above freezing.
How we treat them
Yard treatments can reduce ticks where your family spends time, but health officials stress they work best alongside personal protection, not as a replacement for it.
- 01
Find the tick zones
We look for the shady, humid, brushy areas ticks favor: lawn edges, ornamental beds, fence lines, leaf litter and paths into the woods.
- 02
Targeted yard treatment
Products labeled for ticks are applied to those zones, following label directions, rather than blanketing the whole property.
- 03
Habitat changes
We recommend simple landscape changes like mowing, clearing leaf litter and a wood chip or gravel border at the woodline that make the yard less tick-friendly over time.
- 04
Coordinate with pet care
Pets bring ticks into the house. Keeping dogs and cats on a vet-recommended tick preventive makes yard work go further.
Prevention
What you can do today
- Use an EPA-registered repellent such as DEET, picaridin or IR3535 on skin, following the label
- Treat boots, socks and pants with 0.5% permethrin, or buy pre-treated clothing
- Walk in the center of trails and avoid brushing through tall grass and brush
- Tumble dry outdoor clothes on high heat for 10 minutes when you come in
- Shower soon after coming indoors and do a full-body tick check, including scalp, ears, armpits, waist and behind the knees
- Keep grass mowed, clear leaf litter and brush, and add a 3-foot wood chip or gravel strip between lawn and woods
- Keep pets on a tick preventive and check them daily during tick season
When to call us
Flea and tick control
Indoor and yard treatments that target every life stage of fleas and ticks.
How we treat itQuestions
Ticks FAQ
How do I remove a tick safely?
Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible with fine-tipped tweezers and pull straight up with steady pressure, without twisting or jerking. Clean the bite and your hands afterward. Skip petroleum jelly, nail polish, matches and other home remedies, which can make things worse.
When should I see a doctor after a tick bite?
See your doctor if you develop a fever, chills, headache, muscle aches or a rash in the days or weeks after a bite. Tell them about the bite and where you picked it up, since several tick illnesses here respond well to early antibiotics. Reactions to red meat hours after eating it, especially after lone star bites, are also worth mentioning.
Is Lyme disease a risk in Tennessee?
Blacklegged ticks, which carry Lyme disease, live throughout the eastern U.S., including Tennessee. Lyme is much less common here than in the Northeast and upper Midwest. Tick illnesses like ehrlichiosis and spotted fever, spread by lone star and dog ticks, are bigger concerns in our area.
Are ticks active in winter in Tennessee?
Some are. Blacklegged tick adults look for hosts on any winter day above freezing, and our mild winters give them plenty of those. Lone star and American dog ticks mostly slow down until spring.
What are seed ticks?
Seed ticks are the tiny six-legged larvae that hatch from a single egg mass, so they're often found in groups of dozens or more. In our area they're commonly lone star larvae, and they show up most in late summer. A lint roller or tape removes them from skin and clothing.
References
Last fact-checked October 15, 2026.
Think you have ticks?
Tell us what you're seeing and where. We'll call you back to schedule.