An Official Website of the Commonwealth of Kentucky
Ticks in Kentucky (like elsewhere in the U.S.) fall into one of two families: Ixodidae (hard ticks) and Argasidae (soft ticks). The primary difference between hard ticks and soft ticks is that hard ticks have a "plate" on their back called a scutum, whereas soft ticks do not. Hard ticks also have visible mouthparts upon their heads, while soft ticks have mouth parts on their undersides. Soft ticks that may be found in Kentucky include the Pigeon tick (Argas reflexus) and the Swallow tick (Argas cooleyi), often known as "Common Fowl ticks." Listed below are hard ticks found in Kentucky.
Photo: Life stages of the blacklegged tick, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Ticks and Tick Diseases in Kentucky
Blacklegged Tick(Ixodes scapularis)
Transmits: Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, tick paralysis, and Powassan disease.
Also known as a deer tick, the greatest risk of being bitten by this tick exists in the spring, summer, and fall. However, adults may be searching for a host whenever winter temperatures exceed freezing. The stages in which they are most likely to bite people are nymphs and adult females.
Lone Star Tick(Amblyoma americanum)
Transmits: Human ehrlichiosis, tularemia, tick paralysis, rickettsiosis, Alpha-gal Syndrome (red meat allergy),STARI, and possibly Heartland virus.
A very aggressive tick that bites people. The adult female is distinguished by a white dot or “lone star” on her back. Lone star tick saliva can be irritating; redness and discomfort at a bite site do not necessarily indicate an infection. The nymph and adult females most frequently bite people and transmit disease.
American Dog Tick(Dermacentor variabilis)
Transmits: Tularemia, tick paralysis, and Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Also known as a wood tick, the highest risk of being bitten by this tick occurs during spring and summer. Adult females are most likely to bite people.
Gulf Coast Tick(Amblyoma maculatum)
Transmits: Rickettsiosis, tick paralysis, and American canine hepatozoonosis.
Larvae and nymphs feed on birds and small rodents, while adult ticks feed on deer and other wildlife. Adult ticks have been associated with transmission of Rickettsiosis to humans.
Brown Dog Tick(Rhipicephalus sanguineus)
Transmits: Rickettsiosis and dog ehrlichiosis.
These ticks can cause significant indoor infestations as they are one of the few tick species that can live entirely indoors and can quickly complete their entire life cycle. Dogs are the primary host for the brown dog tick in each of its life stages, but the tick may also bite humans or other mammals.
Asian Longhorned Tick(Haemaphysalis longicornis)
Transmits: Research ongoing
This species of tick is not native to North America, but was detected in the U.S. in 2017. It has become an invasive pest in numerous states, having been found on people, pets, livestock, and wildlife. The female ticks can lay eggs and reproduce without mating, leading to high numbers of ticks very quickly in certain circumstances. This tick species may not bite people as frequently as native tick species. However, this species transmits pathogens that can cause severe disease in cattle in the U.S. as well as severe disease in people in other countries. Research is currently ongoing to determine the risks and spread associated with the Asian longhorned tick.
Photos of tick prevention on this page courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), James Gathany.