TICK TESTING: FIND OUT WHAT IT CARRIED
Updated: Oct 19
If you find a tick, SAVE IT!! Knowing what kind of tick it was, and what it carried, can help you and your doctor. Here are many options.
There is a quick-view graphic with the key points at the bottom of this post.
FIRST, DON'T WAIT FOR RESULTS
ILADS recommends calling your doctor right away after a blacklegged (deer) tick bite. Please don't wait for your tick results to talk with your doctor about treatment. Texas health officials say the same thing: if you have symptoms, don't wait for tick testing results to get medical care.
HOW TO SAVE A TICK
- Remove the tick with fine-pointed tweezers, using steady, gentle pressure. Don't squeeze it, put Vaseline on it or burn it with a match. (ILADS)
- ILADS says it's a good idea to save the tick so your doctor can see what kind it is and whether it had started feeding.
- Put it in a zip-lock bag or a sealed vial. Bay Area Lyme Foundation says not to store it in alcohol or water.
- Label it with the date and where you were bitten.
- If you can't send it right away, Ticknology suggests double-bagging it. It can stay at room temperature (away from heat and sun) for a few weeks, in the fridge for 1 to 3 months, or in the freezer for longer.
WHAT TICK RESULTS CAN AND CAN'T TELL YOU
Texas health officials explain that a tick testing positive doesn't mean the germ was passed to you, and a tick testing negative doesn't rule out infection. Tick testing is one more clue for you and your doctor, not a final answer.
LABS ANYONE IN THE US CAN USE
Prices and details were checked in October 2026 and can change. Insurance usually doesn't cover tick testing.
IGeneX: tests for Lyme, tick-borne relapsing fever (including Borrelia miyamotoi), Babesia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Bartonella and Rickettsia. Results in about 10 business days. It does not identify the type of tick. IGeneX also advises finding a Lyme literate doctor, even if you don't have symptoms.
TickReport (Massachusetts): every plan identifies the type of tick and its life stage. The $60 basic plan tests for 7 to 9 germs. The $100 and $200 plans test for more, including viruses like Powassan. Results within 3 business days.
Ticknology (Colorado): tests for Lyme, Anaplasma, Babesia, Bartonella, Borrelia miyamotoi, Borrelia mayonii, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Ehrlichia and tularemia.
TickCheck (Pennsylvania): results in 2 to 5 business days.
Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab: the Basic test is $50 for people outside Pennsylvania, and FREE for Pennsylvania residents (Powassan test included). Results within 3 business days.
FREE OR LOW-COST STATE PROGRAMS
Pennsylvania: the Basic test at the Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab is free for Pennsylvania residents (link above).
Texas: free testing for Texas residents, for ticks that were attached to a person.
Connecticut: free identification and testing for Connecticut residents, for ticks that fed on a person. Some local health departments may charge a small mailing fee.
Maine: free tick identification, and testing for $20, for people in Maine.
Military families: the MilTICK program is free for active duty, National Guard and reserve members, Defense Department civilians and contractors, retirees, and their spouses, parents and children, in the continental US.
Washington State: you can mail a tick to the Department of Health through their online form, and they will email you what kind of tick it is and what diseases that kind can carry. They do not test ticks for germs, so for testing, use one of the labs above.
FREE TICK ID FROM A PHOTO
The University of Rhode Island's TickSpotters (TickEncounter) will identify a tick from a photo for free. This is identification only, not testing.
COMING SOON
A Tulane University student started a company, Exactics, that is developing a rapid test you use on the tick itself, with results in about 15 minutes. Tulane Lyme researcher Monica Embers is helping validate it. It is not for sale yet.
SOURCES
ILADEF - How to Handle a Tick Bite (updated 2024)
Bay Area Lyme Foundation - Tick Testing (updated 2026)
Global Lyme Alliance - Tick Testing Labs
Texas Department of State Health Services - Tick Submission and Testing
Defense Health Agency - MilTICK Human Tick Test Kit Program (updated 2025)
Ticknology - How to Save a Tick for Testing (updated 2023)
Tulane University - Test a tick, get answers (October 2025)
RELATED POSTS
New Tick Bite? (what to ask your doctor)
How to Handle a Tick Bite
Different Types of Ticks
Tick Bite Education
Lyme Disease and Co-Infection Testing
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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