Where on the body to check for ticks

Ticks can be anywhere on the body, but be sure to check these favorite hiding places:

• In and around hair
• In and around ears
• Under the arms
• Inside the belly button
• Around the waist
• Between the legs
• Back of the knees

Click/tap the infographic to open a larger view

Where on your pet to check for ticks

Ticks can be anywhere on your pet, but be sure to check these favorite hiding places:

• In and around ears
• Around eyelids
• Around the tail
• Under the collar
• Under the front legs
• Between the back legs
• Between the toes

Click/tap the infographic to open a larger view

Stay safe and check for ticks daily!

If you find a tick on your skin, remove it as soon as possible, ideally within 24-36 hours. Quick removal lowers your risk of getting sick.

Step-by-step tick removal

1. Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick as close to your skin as possible (you can also use a tick-removal tool, available at stores).
2. Pull straight up with steady pressure—don't twist or jerk the tick, as this can leave parts stuck in your skin. If this happens, remove them with tweezers. If you can't, let the skin heal on its own.
3. Clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.
4. Safely dispose the tick by putting it in alcohol, sealing it in a bag or tape, or flushing it down the toilet. Never crush a tick with your fingers!

Do not…

• Touch the tick with bare hands
• Use fingers to remove it
• Squeeze the tick’s body
• Apply alcohol, nail polish remover, or Vaseline
• Burn it with a match or cigarette

These methods don’t work and can make the tick release germs into your skin, increasing the risk of disease.

Different types of ticks can carry germs that make people sick.

Here are the four common ticks found in New York and the diseases they can spread.

	Blacklegged Tick (Deer Tick) Ixodes scapularis Lyme disease Anaplasmosis Babesiosis Ehrlichiosis Powassan virus
	American Dog Tick Dermacentor variabilis Rocky Mountain spotted fever Tularemia
	Lone Star Tick Amblyomma americanum Ehrlichiosis Bourbon virus Heartland virus Tularemia
	Asian Longhorned Tick Haemaphysalis longicornis Seems to bite humans less often than other ticks. Researchers are still studying how it spreads diseases.

To stay safe, check for ticks daily and remove them quickly.

Blacklegged ticks (also called deer ticks) can carry Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and babesiosis. A single tick bite can spread more than one disease. To stay safe, take precautions in grassy and wooded areas, check yourself and your pets for ticks, and remove any ticks right away.

Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne illness in New York. It's caused by bacteria and spreads through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick.

Early symptoms (appear within 3-30 days):

• Fever
• Chills
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Skin rash (erythema migrans) in 60-80% of cases
  • Starts small but grows larger over time
  • Rashes smaller than a quarter are usually just reactions to the bite, not Lyme disease.

Severe symptoms if untreated:

• Stiff, aching neck
• Numbness or tingling in arms/legs
• Facial paralysis (Bell’s palsy)
• Severe fatigue and headaches
• Painful arthritis
• Heart and nervous system problems

Lyme disease can be cured with antibiotics, but early treatment is best. 

Anaplasmosis

Anaplasmosis is a bacterial infection spread by tick bites.

Symptoms (appear 1-3 weeks after a bite):

• Fever
• Muscle aches
• Weakness
• Headache
• Confusion, nausea, vomiting, and joint pain (in some cases)
• Rash is uncommon

Anaplasmosis is treated with antibiotics. To learn more about anaplasmosis CLICK HERE.

Babesiosis

Babesiosis is a serious illness caused by tiny parasites spread by infected ticks.

Symptoms (may take 1-8 weeks or longer to appear):

• Fever
• Fatigue
• Anemia (low red blood cell count)
• Symptoms can last days to months

Some medicines used to treat malaria have been found effective against babesiosis. To learn more about babesiosis CLICK HERE.

Stay safe by checking for ticks every day!

How to Use Insect Repellent Safely

• Choose an insect repellent registered by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Follow the instructions on the label.
• Only spray repellent outdoors.
• Wash off repellent when you go inside.
• Don’t spray on your face or breathe in the repellent.
• Avoid spraying repellent under clothes.

Protect your home and yard from ticks with these simple steps:

• Keep grass short by mowing regularly.
• Remove leaf litter, brush, and weeds around your lawn’s edge.
• Limit groundcover like pachysandra in areas where pets and family spend time.
• Clear brush and leaves near stone walls and wood piles.
• Reduce rodent activity by sealing small openings around stone walls and your home.
• Store firewood and bird feeders away from your house.
• Keep pets out of wooded areas to prevent ticks from getting inside.
• Use plants that don’t attract deer or install fencing to keep deer away.
• Place swing sets and sandboxes on wood chips or mulch, away from wooded areas.
• Trim shrubs and tree branches to allow more sunlight in.
• Use dry landscaping methods like gravel pathways and mulch.
• Create a 3-foot-wide wood chip, mulch, or gravel border between your yard and wooded areas.
• Widen trails in wooded areas for easier navigation.
• If using pesticides, avoid spraying near streams or bodies of water to protect aquatic life.

Blacklegged ticks (Ixodes scapularis) go through four stages in their two-year life cycle.

• Phase 1: Egg
• Phase 2: 6-legged larva
• Phase 3: 8-legged nymph
• Phase 4: Adult (male or female)

Ticks can be active during spring, summer, and fall when temperatures are above 35°F. Some may even stay active in winter despite snow on the ground.

Ticks find hosts by detecting carbon dioxide, body heat, moisture, vibrations, and shadows.

Ticks don’t fly or jump—they wait in vegetation and attach when a person or animal brushes against them.

Once on a host, ticks may attach quickly or move around before feeding.

To learn more about the life cycle of ticks CLICK HERE

Stay safe and check for ticks every day!

Contributed by Holly Cheever, DVM, The Animal Hospital, Guilderland, NY

Can pets get Lyme disease?

Yes! Dogs, cats, and horses can all get Lyme disease. Most infected animals don’t show symptoms and are diagnosed through routine blood tests.

Symptoms of Lyme disease in pets

Dogs: About 90% of dogs with Lyme disease show no symptoms. If symptoms appear, they may include:

• Flu-like signs: fever, tiredness, and low appetite
• Sudden joint pain causing limping and stiffness
• In rare cases, Lyme disease can affect the kidneys, heart, brain, or joints

Cats: Lyme disease is uncommon in cats, and they rarely show symptoms.

Treatment for Lyme disease in pets

The treatment for Lyme disease is the same for pets and humans. Doxycycline is the preferred antibiotic, taken for about a month. Some pets may need two rounds of treatment.

Can horses get Lyme disease?

Yes, horses can get Lyme disease. Like dogs and cats, they often don’t show symptoms and are diagnosed through blood tests. Talk to your veterinarian for more details.

How is Lyme disease diagnosed in pets?

• Dogs: A quick blood test gives results in about 8 minutes. A follow-up test, called the Western Blot test, confirms the diagnosis.
• Cats & Horses: Their blood tests are sent to a laboratory for analysis.

Can pets get Lyme disease even if they stay in the yard?

Yes! Ticks are often found in suburban yards, brought in by deer and mice. Yards near wooded areas or with tall grass and leaf litter have higher tick risks.

Can pets bring ticks into the home and infect humans?

Ticks don’t spread Lyme disease directly from pets to humans. However, if a tick is brushed off a pet and attaches to a human, it can cause infection.

Should I check my pets for ticks daily?

Yes! Removing ticks within 24-36 hours lowers the risk of infection. Check pets every time they come indoors.

How can I protect my pet from ticks?

• Use tick-killing products like Frontline, which eliminate ticks within 24-48 hours.
• Mow the lawn regularly and keep pets out of brushy or wooded areas.
• Check pets for ticks every time they come inside.
• Be careful with tick repellents—some contain chemicals that may be too strong for pets or people. Always read product labels carefully.

The Albany County Department of Health reminds healthcare providers to stay alert for tick-borne diseases and to report clinical or laboratory-diagnosed cases to the health department.

The New York State Department of Health offers free educational materials to residents and organizations to help prevent tick-borne illnesses.

For more information on diagnosis and treatment, healthcare providers can review the CDC reference manual.

To report a tick-borne disease case or ask questions, call the Albany County Department of Health at (518) 447-4640.

Resources for Providers

• Tickborne Diseases of the United States | Ticks | CDC (Guide for recognizing, diagnosing, and treating tick-borne illnesses.)
• Tickborne Disease Continuing Education | Ticks | CDC (Free training on Lyme disease, RMSF, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, and viral tick-borne illnesses.)
• Lyme Disease Rashes | Lyme Disease | CDC
• Communicable Disease Reporting
• Physician Letter - Reporting of Communicable Diseases
• doh-389_instructions.pdf

Working together, healthcare providers, public health experts, and residents can reduce the risk of Lyme disease.

Thank you for your efforts in keeping our community safe!