DIFFERENT TYPES OF TICKS
Updated: Oct 19
Not all ticks are the same, and not all of them carry the same germs. Knowing which tick bit you can help your doctor know what to look for. Save the tick if you can!
There is a quick-view graphic with the key points at the bottom of this post.
WHAT ILADS SHARES
- Lyme is spread by the bite of an infected blacklegged (Ixodes) tick. In the US, that's the blacklegged or deer tick in the Northeast and upper Midwest, and the western blacklegged tick in the West.
- The lone star tick is linked to STARI (a Lyme-like rash illness) and alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat. STARI comes from lone star ticks, not blacklegged ticks.
- Ehrlichia is most often linked to lone star ticks, but one type may be more linked to blacklegged ticks.
- Many kinds of ticks can cause tick paralysis.
- Fewer than 30% of people with Lyme in the US remember a tick bite.
NYMPHS: THE TINY TICKS
- A nymph isn't a kind of tick. It's a young stage that every tick goes through, from deer ticks to lone star ticks.
- Nymphs can be as small as a poppy seed, which is one reason so many people never see the bite.
- Nymphs can pass on infections, not just adult ticks. In some areas, nymphs carry infection more often than adults.
- Check carefully after being outdoors, especially warm places like the groin, armpits, belly button, behind the ears and knees, and in the hair.
HARD TICKS AND SOFT TICKS
- There are two families of ticks in the US: hard ticks, which have a hard shield on their back, and soft ticks, which don't.
- Hard ticks live in grass, brush and wooded areas and can stay attached for hours to weeks.
- Soft ticks live in places like animal burrows, caves and rodent-infested cabins. They feed fast, often at night, and can pass on infection in 15 minutes or less. Their bites are usually painless, so people often never notice them.
TICKS THAT CAN CARRY LYME
Blacklegged tick, also called the deer tick (Northeast and upper Midwest, and its range keeps growing):
- Lyme, Babesia, Anaplasma, Borrelia miyamotoi, Ehrlichia muris, Powassan virus and more. Bartonella is suspected.
Western blacklegged tick (California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Nevada and Utah):
- Lyme, Babesia, Borrelia miyamotoi, Ehrlichia and Anaplasma. Bartonella is suspected.
OTHER COMMON TICKS
Lone star tick (eastern US, most common in the South):
- Ehrlichia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, Heartland virus, Bourbon virus and STARI (a Lyme-like rash illness). Its bite is also linked to alpha-gal syndrome, an allergy to red meat.
American dog tick (east of the Rocky Mountains and parts of the Pacific Coast):
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma and tick paralysis.
Brown dog tick (found worldwide, in and around homes with dogs; it can live its whole life indoors):
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever and other Rickettsia infections.
Rocky Mountain wood tick (higher elevations in the Rocky Mountain states):
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, tularemia and tick paralysis.
Pacific Coast tick (from Baja Mexico up to Oregon; the most common tick in California):
- Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, Pacific Coast tick fever and tularemia.
Groundhog tick (eastern half of the US):
- The main tick that spreads Powassan virus.
SOFT TICKS AND TICK-BORNE RELAPSING FEVER (TBRF)
- Soft ticks are most common in the western US and are mainly linked to tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF).
- TBRF can look a lot like Lyme, but it is caused by a different group of Borrelia bacteria, so a standard Lyme test won't pick it up.
- Symptoms can include fevers that come and go, stomach pain and vomiting, stiff neck and joints, muscle aches, nosebleeds, headache, fatigue and memory problems.
THE ASIAN LONGHORNED TICK
- This newer, invasive tick was found in 21 states plus Washington, DC, as of April 2025.
- A female can lay eggs without a male, so just one tick can start a whole new population.
- It is a known or suspected carrier of germs that cause disease in both people and livestock.
HELPFUL POSTS
Get your tick tested:
New tick bite? What to do and what to ask for:
Lyme and co-infection testing (including TBRF):
RELATED POSTS
Tick Bite Education
Tick Attachment Time
Tick Repellent for Body and Yard
SOURCES
ILADS - Lyme Disease Basics for Providers (updated 2026)
Global Lyme Alliance - I Found a Tick on Me, Now What? (2023)
LymeDisease.org - Types of Ticks (updated 2023)
IGeneX - What Are Soft Ticks? (2022)
Texas A&M AgriLife - Longhorned Tick Situation Report (April 2025)
Disclaimer: Rise Above Lyme makes no claims about any possible benefit of using any product mentioned within this site. Always consult with your doctor before adding anything. The information shared is based on personal experience, years of accumulated researched resources from Lyme Literate doctors and polls conducted within Lyme groups from actual patient experience using these solution ideas.
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