Best Time to See Ticks in the US
May, June and April is the best time to see ticks in the United States. This is a national picture built from 75,854 verified iNaturalist observations across 50 states, showing when and where ticks are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
75,854 verified observations of ticks in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When ticks are recorded in the US
Peak month
May
19,669 records (25.9% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 1,448 | 1.9% |
| February | 1,912 | 2.5% |
| March | 5,072 | 6.7% |
| Aprilpeak | 14,371 | 18.9% |
| Maypeak | 19,669 | 25.9% |
| Junepeak | 14,942 | 19.7% |
| July | 8,456 | 11.1% |
| August | 2,570 | 3.4% |
| September | 1,417 | 1.9% |
| October | 2,616 | 3.4% |
| November | 2,172 | 2.9% |
| December | 1,209 | 1.6% |
Ticks you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| American Dog Tick | 26,606 |
| Eastern Black-legged Tick | 13,273 |
| Lone Star Tick | 13,194 |
| Pacific Coast Tick | 5,166 |
| Gulf Coast Tick | 3,253 |
| Western Black-legged Tick | 3,056 |
| Western Dog Tick | 885 |
| Rocky Mountain Wood Tick | 746 |
Across the country, ticks sightings peak in May, when 19,669 of the 75,854 annual observations are logged, about 25.9% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through May, June and April.
The best states to see ticks by recorded sightings are California (13,382), New York (3,631), Virginia (3,538), Massachusetts (3,307) and Pennsylvania (3,236). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The ticks you are most likely to encounter nationwide are American Dog Tick, Eastern Black-legged Tick and Lone Star Tick, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see ticks
- ticks in California13,382 sightings, peak April
- ticks in New York3,631 sightings, peak May
- ticks in Virginia3,538 sightings, peak May
- ticks in Massachusetts3,307 sightings, peak May
- ticks in Pennsylvania3,236 sightings, peak May
- ticks in Texas3,172 sightings, peak April
- ticks in New Jersey3,103 sightings, peak May
- ticks in Ohio3,086 sightings, peak May
- ticks in Illinois2,504 sightings, peak May
- ticks in Maryland2,495 sightings, peak May
- ticks in Michigan2,258 sightings, peak May
- ticks in Florida2,225 sightings, peak May
- ticks in North Carolina2,005 sightings, peak June
- ticks in Missouri1,812 sightings, peak May
- ticks in West Virginia1,768 sightings, peak October
Most-recorded ticks species nationwide
- American Dog Tick26,606 records
- Eastern Black-legged Tick13,273 records
- Lone Star Tick13,194 records
- Pacific Coast Tick5,166 records
- Gulf Coast Tick3,253 records
- Western Black-legged Tick3,056 records
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see ticks in the US?+
May is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through May, June and April, based on 75,854 verified observations across 50 states.
Which states are best for seeing ticks?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are California, New York and Virginia. California leads with 13,382 verified observations.
How many ticks sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 75,854 verified ticks observations are logged on iNaturalist across 50 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of ticks live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are American Dog Tick, Eastern Black-legged Tick and Lone Star Tick, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.
See ticks by species
Full ticks guides by state