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Types of Ticks in New Jersey

Ticks are parasitic arachnids that feed on a variety of animal hosts. New Jersey is habitat for four main types of ticks. Most bites from these ticks are harmless. However, ticks are responsible for infecting humans with a host of diseases, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, according to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, N.J.

  1. Black-legged Tick

    • The black-legged tick --- also known as the deer tick --- is found throughout the eastern and upper Midwestern U.S. In New Jersey it is most commonly found in rural and suburban areas. While some other ticks are dormant during the winter months, the black-legged tick becomes active when the temperature rises above freezing. Because of its cold-hardiness, the black-legged tick may still expose humans to the risk of Lyme disease during the winter.

    Lone Star Tick

    • With a habitat ranging from New Jersey to Florida and as far west as Texas, the lone star tick is an aggressive hunter. Unlike the black-legged tick, which acquires hosts by passive ambush, the lone star tick actively seeks new hosts, moving toward sources of vibration or carbon dioxide. In New Jersey, these pests are common from Monmouth to Cape May Counties, preferring wooded and suburban areas.

    American Dog Tick

    • The American dog tick prefers overgrown fields and wooded edges to forests, and can be found throughout suburban and rural New Jersey. Even in urban spaces, the American dog tick may make its home in areas of overgrown vegetation, such as vacant lots. It is sometimes mistaken for the wood tick, and has been known to transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever.

    Brown Dog Tick

    • Unlike the other ticks common in New Jersey, the brown dog tick prefers not to feed on humans. Rather, it favors one species as its host --- domestic dogs. The brown dog tick is found throughout the U.S., and can be found living indoors, particularly in kennels or dogs' homes. Brown dog tick infestations can be eliminated with sanitation and pesticides. Despite their preference for dogs, these ticks sometimes bite humans.

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