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Pest Library · Biting pestsBlacklegged (Deer) Ticks Identification Guide
How to identify blacklegged ticks, the ticks that can carry Lyme disease in Ontario.
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How to identify
What ticks look like
Blacklegged ticks are small, flat, oval and dark reddish-brown with black legs. Nymphs are about the size of a poppy seed.
They wait on grass and shrubs at the edges of woods and trails and climb onto people and pets that brush past.
Signs you have ticks
- Ticks found on pets or people after time outdoors
- Ticks on clothing after walking in grass or woods
Are they dangerous?
Blacklegged ticks can carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease. Public Health Ontario tracks risk areas across the province. Remove ticks promptly and speak to a health care provider if you develop symptoms.
How to prevent them
- Keep grass short and remove leaf litter
- Create a gravel or wood chip barrier between lawn and woods
- Check yourself, children and pets after time outdoors
- Ask about seasonal yard treatment
Quick facts
Scientific nameIxodes scapularis
Size1–3 mm (unfed)
ColourDark reddish-brown, black legs
Most activeSpring to late fall
Found inTall grass, woods, leaf litter
Risk levelHigh (can carry Lyme disease)
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