Tick Identification

We hope to help educate folks on how to identify the differences between a Deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis) and Dog ticks (Dermacentor variabilis).
The most identifiable difference is the coloring on the ticks "scutum" or the shield behind the tick's head.
Deer Ticks
• Brown/Black scutum or shield
• Deer ticks may transmit the agents that cause Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis
• What bites: nymphs and adult females
• When: anytime temperatures are above freezing, greatest risk is spring through fall
Dog Ticks
• Females have white stripes on scutum or shield. Males have white stripes the length of their bodies.
• Dog ticks do not transmit the agent that causes Lyme disease
• What bites: adult females
• When: April-August
Check our UMaine's tick removal video below!
• How Do I Remove a Tick?
Thanks for watching!

[@justinrichard4190]

i found a tiny tick on my leg today febuary 26. i was in the woods yesterday and i am concerned it may give me lyme disease. it looked like a deer tick, but it was very small. can the tiny ones carry disease?