Deer Tick Identification

deer tick identification





Deer Tick Identification...is important if you want to know whether your bite or bites are from this specific variety as they can carry lyme disease.

We are often asked what does a deer tick look like?...


Consequently we have provided a photo (above) and pictures of this nasty little parasite and also a guide to the home removal and the best way to remove ticks from dogs...

Deer Tick Identification - Made Easy!
  • The best  way to identify a deer tick is to look at it's size, shape and color.
  • During each stage in their life cycle they have a black head and just behind their head they have a black dorsal shield.
There are other characteristics which make identification easier but this would need to be done under a microscope....for example...
  • Their anal opening looks very similar to a belly button and is on the underside of the parasite
  • The difference with a deer tick is that their anal opening is nearer the lower edge of the abdomen and sits in a ridge that is shaped like a horseshoe.
  • Common types of ticks have ridges on the bottom edge of the abdomen known as festoons - deer ticks do not have festoons.

Deer Tick Identification

Tick Life cycle

The tick life cycle goes through three developmental stages...
  1. Larva
  2. Nymph
  3. Adult

Follow the advice and pictures that we have provided below on each developmental stage so that your are more able to identify this nasty little parasite, and hopefully avoid a bite.

Deer Tick Eggs

deer tick identification
The  life cycle of this nasty little parasite starts with the female laying a clutch of eggs, like the ones in the picture above. These eggs will then hatch into larva.

Deer Tick Larva

deer tick identification
  • Did you know that the larva (like the photo above) hatch from their eggs from the months of  May through until September.
  • The Larva does not actually carry Lyme disease and will not contract it or other diseases until after it has attached itself to it's host
  • Lava tend to fee on small mammals like mice. If the Mouse carries the Lyme disease bacteria this will then be passed on to the larva.
  • After the larva has fed on it's host, it will then molt into nymphs and will the lay dormant until spring of the following year.

Deer Tick Nymph

deer tick identification
  • The following spring or summer the nymph will take it's second feed on it's chosen host.
  • If the nymph was not infected with a disease like lyme disease at the larva stage it can now become infected if it's second host is carrying the disease.
  • The nymph is very small and in your hand or on your dog it will look like a freckle or a speck of dirt.

Deer Tick Adult

deer tick identification
  • In the second year's fall the adult will emerge, once the nymph has molted.
  • The female adult tick will feed on it's host, mate and even lay it's eggs on it's host.
  • The female will feast over the course of several days and their body will get bigger as they gorge.
  • If the female is infected it can transmit Lyme disease and other diseases during feeding
  • Although males do become attached to mammals etc they do not feed on blood so they do not transmit diseases like Lyme disease, babesisosis or human anaplasmosis.
  • Frost does not kill deer ticks.

Deer Tick Identification

Home Deer Tick Removal
  • Remember that deer ticks do actually prefer to attach themselves to deer as it's primary host.
  • It is very important that when you remove the parasite from it's host, that you do it very carefully as if you do it ineffectively it may raise the risk of infection.
  • Use a pair of tweezers and hold the parasite as close to the skin as possible and very gently remove the tick.
  • Do not hold the parasite by it's abdomen otherwise it may burst and release more very unattractive and possibly dangerous fluids.
  • Do not use alcohol before you start to remove the parasite as this may make the parasite start to regurgitate its last feed and this can cause more risks of infection.
  • Make sure that the mouth parts of the parasite are completely removed otherwise if they are left in they may cause infection.

If you would like more information on the best way to remove the parasite, check out our section on removing ticks from dogs.

We hope this page has made deer tick identification easier for you and your family.




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