Tick Season in New Hampshire: What to Know, When to Watch, and How to Stay Safe

New Hampshire is one of the most tick-dense states in the country — and if you spend any time outdoors in the Granite State, that’s something worth taking seriously. Overall, New Hampshire is a hot zone for tick-borne disease, and the CDC consistently rates it in the top five states in terms of cases per 100,000 people. That’s a striking statistic, but it doesn’t have to stop you from enjoying the trails, backyards, and forests that make this state so special.

The good news is that awareness and a few consistent habits can dramatically reduce your risk. Whether you’re a lifelong resident, a seasonal visitor, or a parent watching kids play in the yard, understanding tick season in New Hampshire gives you the tools to stay protected. This guide walks you through everything you need to know — from when ticks are most active to what to do the moment you find one.

Key Insight: Ticks in New Hampshire are not just a summer concern. They can be active any time temperatures rise above freezing and there’s no snow on the ground.

When Is Tick Season in New Hampshire

If you’re thinking tick season only runs through the summer months, it’s time to update that assumption. Ticks are active any time the outside temperature is above 40°F and they are not covered by snow, and tick exposure can occur year-round — but ticks are most active during warmer months from April through November.

In New Hampshire, ticks are typically most active from April to November, with deer tick nymphs — which are thought to cause most tick-borne illnesses — usually most active from May to July. That spring-to-midsummer window is when your risk is highest, but it doesn’t mean you can let your guard down once August ends.

The greatest risk of getting tick-borne diseases is between March and July, when the aggressive nymph stage of the black-legged tick is active. But ticks are also present during other months, and with the warming environment, one can contract a tick-borne disease throughout the year.

There’s also a second activity window to be aware of. There are two “high seasons” for encountering black-legged ticks in New Hampshire, and just one for dog ticks. New Hampshire residents are picking up black-legged ticks early in the year, typically starting in March and peaking in May, followed by a lull in the summer and then a second peak in the fall. This means both spring and autumn outdoor activities carry meaningful risk.

Pro Tip: Mark your calendar for April through July as your highest-risk window, but keep tick prevention habits active all the way through November — especially if you’re hiking or hunting in wooded areas.

Types of Ticks Found in New Hampshire

Not all ticks in New Hampshire carry the same diseases, and knowing which species you’re dealing with helps you assess your risk after a bite. There are several tick species present in the state, each with different behavior, appearance, and peak activity periods.

Black-Legged Tick (Deer Tick)

Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Borrelia miyamotoi, and Powassan virus are all transmitted by the bite of the black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis), formerly known as the deer tick. This makes it the most medically significant tick in the state. Black-legged ticks have four life stages — eggs, larvae, nymphs, and adults — and the nymphs are most active in the late spring through summer months (most often May through August), making them the most likely to give humans tick-borne diseases.

Deer ticks are notably small. Deer ticks are smaller than dog ticks, so if you find a large tick crawling on your skin, it’s likely a dog tick. The tiny size of nymphs — less than 2mm — means they often go unnoticed while attached, which is part of what makes them so dangerous.

Understanding how ticks reproduce can help you appreciate why populations remain so persistent season after season.

American Dog Tick

The American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) is the most frequently encountered tick in New Hampshire. It is about 1/8 inch (4–5mm) long, brown and tan, with an obvious mottled pattern on its back, and it is a “three-host tick,” meaning it must find and feed on an animal three times to complete its two-year life cycle. This species has now spread to every county in the state.

American dog ticks can transmit the organism that causes Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, which is rare in New England but more common farther south, and the tick is most active from May through July in New Hampshire. Importantly, despite the fact that the bacterium causing Lyme disease has been found in American dog ticks, tests prove that the tick cannot transmit the organism to its hosts.

Winter Tick

Unlike the dog tick, the winter tick isn’t active in the summer and completes its entire development on one host. It is often found on moose, deer, or horses during the fall, winter, or spring, and it doesn’t commonly bite people — nor does it transmit agents that cause disease in people.

While winter ticks pose little direct health threat to humans, recent research in New Hampshire demonstrates that winter ticks are limiting the moose population, and mortality of calves is especially high. In New Hampshire, winter ticks have been collected as far south as Durham, Nottingham, Wilton, and Roxbury, but the species is more abundant farther north.

Brown Dog Tick

The brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus) is uncommon in New Hampshire, though it probably occurs throughout the state. Unlike most ticks, this species can complete its entire life cycle indoors, making it a concern for households with dogs that spend time in tick-prone areas. Learning about animals that eat ticks can also offer some perspective on natural population control.

Tick-Borne Diseases in New Hampshire

Knowing which diseases ticks carry in New Hampshire helps you recognize symptoms early and seek care promptly. There are five different tick-borne illnesses in New Hampshire, with Lyme disease being the most commonly reported.

Lyme Disease

New Hampshire has one of the highest rates of Lyme disease in the country, according to data from 2022. Around 50–60% of black-legged ticks sampled from across New Hampshire have been found to be infected with the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire have experienced the largest increases in reported cases of Lyme disease since 1991.

In Lyme disease, the rash may appear within three to 30 days, typically before the onset of fever. The rash is usually a circular rash called erythema migrans (EM), which occurs in approximately 70 to 80% of infected persons and begins at the site of a tick bite. However, sometimes a patient can develop Lyme disease symptoms without having a rash.

Anaplasmosis

Anaplasmosis is another tick-borne illness transmitted by the black-legged tick in New Hampshire. Symptoms typically occur 5–21 days following the bite of an infected tick and can include fever, headache, chills, and muscle aches. About 6% of black-legged ticks in New Hampshire carry anaplasmosis.

Babesiosis

Babesiosis is a parasitic infection — a bit like a weak cousin of malaria. Most people who get it have a mild form and resolve the infection without treatment, but people with compromised immune systems and the elderly can get severe infections. Babesiosis has been causing infections along coastal New England for decades; however, cases are now being seen more frequently throughout northern New England.

Powassan Virus

Powassan virus infection, in particular, can progress to meningoencephalitis — inflammation of the brain and membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. What makes Powassan especially concerning is its transmission speed: an infected tick only needs to be attached to a person for 15 minutes to transmit Powassan virus. New Hampshire has identified a total of 8 cases of Powassan virus since 2013, when the disease was first detected in humans in the state. You can learn more about tick-borne encephalitis and related neurological conditions that ticks can cause.

Borrelia miyamotoi

Borrelia miyamotoi is a lesser-known but emerging tick-borne illness in New Hampshire. Miyamotoi is caused by bacteria similar to the one that causes Lyme disease. About 1.5% of black-legged ticks in New Hampshire carry it, and that figure is rising. It can cause relapsing fevers and flu-like symptoms and is transmitted by the same black-legged tick responsible for Lyme disease.

Important Note: A single tick can be co-infected with more than one pathogen, meaning one bite could potentially expose you to multiple diseases simultaneously. This makes prompt tick removal even more critical.

High-Risk Areas and Habitats in New Hampshire

Ticks don’t roam freely — they wait in specific environments for a host to brush by, a behavior called “questing.” Knowing where ticks like to hide helps you make smarter choices when you’re outdoors.

Where Ticks Are Most Commonly Found

Tick habitats include forests, marshes, trails, and tall grasses. Staying on cleared paths helps reduce the risk of tick bites. Ticks tend to position themselves on the tips of grasses and low shrubs, waiting to latch onto passing animals or people. They don’t jump or fly — contact is everything.

• Wooded areas and forest edges — The transition zone between woods and open land is a particularly high-risk zone
• Tall grass and brush — Unmowed fields, overgrown trails, and brushy roadsides are prime tick habitat
• Leaf litter — Ticks overwinter and hide in leaf piles, making fall yard cleanup important
• Marshes and wetland edges — Moist, shaded environments support tick survival
• Your own backyard — Especially near fence lines, wood piles, and the boundary between lawn and woods

Geographic Risk Within New Hampshire

Predictive modeling indicates that black-legged ticks should be absent in northern New Hampshire, with probabilities of presence being higher in the southeastern part of the state according to a north-to-south gradient of increasing suitability, with two clear areas of high suitability — the southern area and the center of the state.

The Department of Health and Human Services has noted the highest rates of Lyme disease in Hillsborough, Rockingham, and Strafford counties. That said, risk is present across the state wherever ticks are established. Outdoor workers in New Hampshire are at particular risk of tick-borne diseases and should be reminded about methods of prevention.

Pro Tip: Even your own backyard can be a tick hot spot. Keep grass mowed short, clear leaf litter away from play areas, and create a wood chip or gravel barrier between your lawn and any wooded areas surrounding your property.

How to Protect Yourself, Children, and Pets During Tick Season in New Hampshire

Prevention is your strongest tool against tick-borne illness. The steps below are practical, well-supported by public health guidance, and easy to build into your outdoor routine.

Clothing and Repellents

Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin, and wear light-colored clothing that makes it easier to see ticks and that covers your arms and legs. Tuck your pants into your socks. Light colors also make spotting ticks easier before they find skin.

Use EPA-recommended tick repellents such as oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), DEET (15–30%), IR3535 (10–30%), and Picaridin. Always check packaging before using on children. Repellents containing 20 to 30% DEET applied to exposed skin and clothing provide protection that lasts up to several hours. Always follow product instructions, and parents should apply repellent to their children, avoiding hands, eyes, and mouth.

After Being Outdoors

Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors — preferably within two hours — to wash off and more easily find ticks that are crawling on you. Conduct a full-body tick check using a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body upon return from tick-infested areas.

Parents should check their children for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair.

Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors. If the clothes are damp, additional time may be needed. If the clothes require washing first, hot water is recommended, as cold and medium temperature water will not kill ticks effectively.

Protecting Your Pets

Examine gear and pets carefully. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later — so carefully examine pets, coats, and day packs. Pets returning inside may also bring ticks with them, and performing tick checks and using tick preventatives on pets will reduce this risk.

For dog owners, it’s especially worth reviewing tips for preventing tick-borne diseases in your dog, since dogs are frequent tick carriers and can bring them directly into your living space.

Around the Home

Clearing leaf litter, tall grass, or brush around your home and mowing the lawn frequently are effective ways to reduce tick habitat near where you live. You can also place tick tubes — cotton balls soaked in permethrin — around the perimeter of your yard to help reduce tick populations in the areas where rodents, a key tick host, tend to travel.

Common Mistake: Many people only check obvious spots like arms and legs after being outdoors. Ticks prefer warm, hidden areas — behind the knees, in the groin, the armpits, the scalp, and behind the ears. A thorough full-body check is essential every single time.

What to Do If You Find a Tick in New Hampshire

Finding a tick on your body is understandably alarming, but staying calm and acting quickly makes a real difference. The sooner you remove it, the lower your risk of disease transmission.

How to Remove a Tick Safely

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers — Grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
2. Pull upward with steady, even pressure — Avoid jerking or twisting, which can cause mouth parts to break off and remain in the skin.
3. Clean the bite area — Use rubbing alcohol or soap and water after removal.
4. Dispose of the tick properly — After removal, dispose of the tick by putting it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet.

Do not use petroleum jelly, heat, or other folk remedies to remove ticks — these methods are ineffective and can increase disease transmission risk.

Timing Matters

Tick removal within 24 hours of attachment can prevent Lyme disease, but the spread of other tick-borne diseases can happen with shorter periods of attachment time. For Powassan virus in particular, transmission can occur in as little as 15 minutes, so acting quickly is always the right call.

A tick needs about 36 hours to transmit the Lyme bacteria. If you find a tick that has been attached for more than 36 hours, a single two-pill dose of the antibiotic doxycycline is highly effective at preventing Lyme disease. Discuss this option with your healthcare provider promptly.

After Removal — What to Watch For

Finding an embedded and engorged tick is enough reason to call your care provider because treatment with an antibiotic may be necessary. If any illness with a fever develops during the spring, summer, or fall that is not clearly caused by something else, it should also prompt a call to your care provider.

New Hampshire’s Department of Health and Human Services says people who are bitten by ticks should remove them promptly with tweezers and monitor for symptoms of tick-borne diseases for 30 days.

If you want to have the tick tested, you can send your tick to be tested for the presence of disease-causing bacteria. Tick testing is available through TickReport.com, ECOLab, and TickEncounter.

Important Note: Never crush a tick with your fingers. This can release pathogens. Always use tweezers and dispose of the tick safely.

Reporting Tick Bites and Tick-Borne Illness in New Hampshire

Reporting tick encounters and tick-borne illnesses serves a purpose beyond your own health — it helps public health officials track disease trends, identify emerging risks, and allocate resources to protect communities across the state.

When to Contact Your Healthcare Provider

If you are bitten by a tick, remove it as soon and as safely as possible. If you have any questions or concerns about a tick bite, contact your healthcare provider. You should seek care promptly if you develop symptoms such as fever, rash, fatigue, headache, or joint pain within 30 days of a known or suspected tick bite.

How to Report to NH DHHS

Tick-borne diseases in New Hampshire are reportable conditions. Suspect or confirmed cases should be reported to NH DHHS within 72 hours. Healthcare providers are responsible for filing these reports, but as a patient, you can support the process by giving your provider a full history of potential tick exposure.

Anyone with questions about vector-borne illnesses can call the DPHS Bureau of Infectious Disease Control at (603) 271-4496 from 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday through Friday.

Submitting Ticks for Identification

If you would like to have your tick identified, you can fill out the Tick ID Submission Form, follow the steps to prepare the tick for mailing, and mail the tick and form as described. Note that ticks submitted to NH DHHS will not be tested for any diseases. For disease testing, use the independent labs listed in the previous section.

You can also contribute to citizen science efforts through BeBop Labs, a New Hampshire-based organization. If you find a tick anywhere in the state — of any type or size — you can help contribute to the knowledge base of tick-borne disease distribution by sending it to BeBop Labs. BeBop Labs is an all-volunteer nonprofit organization that will take and test your tick at no cost aside from the stamp to send it in.

Key Insight: Submitting ticks you find — even if you weren’t bitten — helps researchers map where different tick species are active across New Hampshire, improving risk predictions for everyone in the state.

Tick season in New Hampshire is a reality of life in the Granite State, but it’s one you can navigate with confidence. By knowing when ticks are active, which species to watch for, and how to protect yourself and your family, you put yourself in a strong position every time you head outdoors. Consistent habits — checking for ticks after every outing, using repellents, treating your clothing, and keeping your pets protected — make a genuine difference. And if you do find a tick, acting quickly and calmly is always the right approach.

Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions related to tick bites or tick-borne illness.