Tick Season in New Mexico: Peak Months, High-Risk Zones, and Safety Tips
March 30, 2026
New Mexico may be known for its dry, sun-baked landscapes, but that arid reputation doesn’t make the state off-limits for ticks. Even in the dry climate of New Mexico, parasites like ticks thrive — and they can pose real health risks to you, your children, and your pets throughout a significant portion of the year.
Whether you’re hiking the Jemez Mountains, gardening in Albuquerque, or hunting in northern New Mexico, knowing when ticks are active, where they hide, and how to respond to a bite can make a meaningful difference in your health outcomes. Because harmful tick-borne diseases are on the rise, it’s important to know the facts about ticks and the diseases they spread and how to combat them.
Key Insight: Tick prevalence, along with the diseases they transmit, is rising in New Mexico and all over the world. The Companion Animal Parasite Council forecasts risk of canine tick-borne disease in New Mexico as high — and New Mexico’s risk is higher than many other states.
When Is Tick Season in New Mexico
Although ticks may be active all year long in New Mexico, typically spring marks the beginning of tick season. For most residents and outdoor enthusiasts, this means your awareness and precautions should ramp up as temperatures begin to climb after winter.
While it is a good idea to take preventive measures against ticks year-round, the New Mexico Department of Health recommends being extra vigilant in warmer months — April through September — when ticks are most active. June is considered prime tick season, according to local experts.
The timing of peak activity can also vary by species and elevation. Adult brown dog ticks are most common in New Mexico during the late spring and early summer months — May and June. Meanwhile, in the Mountain region of the U.S., adult male and female Rocky Mountain wood ticks can be active from January through November, but are most common in the late spring and early summer, with activity diminishing during the hot and dry mid-summer period.
New Mexico’s summer monsoon season — typically July through September — can also influence tick activity. Seasonal variation plays a role in sampling success: in southwest New Mexico, researchers collected no ticks in April during the dry season, while ticks were collected in August during the monsoon season. So don’t let late-summer rains lower your guard.
Pro Tip: If you’re planning outdoor activities like dove hunting in New Mexico, be especially vigilant about tick checks during the peak April–September window when ticks are most active in brushy and grassy habitats.
Types of Ticks Found in New Mexico
The most common types of ticks in New Mexico include blacklegged ticks (deer ticks), brown dog ticks, and lone star ticks. Each species has distinct habits, preferred habitats, and health risks worth understanding.
Brown Dog Tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus)
The most common tick in New Mexico and in the United States is the Rhipicephalus sanguineus — the brown dog tick. It is the only common tick in urban areas, found throughout New Mexico but mostly restricted to urban settings, always associated with dogs, and mostly found in yards with dogs.
Adult brown dog ticks have flat, oval-shaped bodies about 1/8 of an inch in length and eight legs. They are reddish brown in color but become gray-blue when engorged, and male brown dog ticks have tiny pits on their backs. Brown dog ticks position themselves on shrubs, grass, and other vegetation to wait for a host animal to pass by, and when attached to a dog, they are usually found on the ears and between the toes.
Rocky Mountain Wood Tick (Dermacentor andersoni)
The Rocky Mountain wood tick is found predominantly in states with the Rocky Mountains, and is typically found in shrubs, lightly wooded areas, and grasslands. Its range covers Rocky Mountain states and southwestern Canada from elevations of 4,000 to 10,500 feet. In New Mexico, it is most commonly associated with the northern and mountainous parts of the state.
Rocky Mountain wood ticks are brown in color and become grayish when engorged. They have an oval-shaped body that is somewhat flattened from top to bottom, with unengorged adult females measuring about 1/8 inch. Understanding how ticks reproduce can help you grasp why populations can surge quickly — learn more about the tick reproduction cycle here.
Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum)
Adult lone star ticks have flattened oval-shaped bodies, are reddish brown in color but become slate gray when engorged, and female lone star ticks are anywhere from 1/6 to 1/4 of an inch in length. The adult female is distinguished by a white dot or “lone star” on her back.
Lone star ticks are often found in shady areas, as they are not able to survive long exposure to the sun, and they prefer to wait for hosts on low-growing vegetation and transitional areas where woods meet lawns. Lone star tick saliva can be irritating, and redness and discomfort at a bite site does not necessarily indicate an infection.
Blacklegged Tick (Ixodes scapularis)
Adult blacklegged ticks, when unengorged, have small, flat bodies typically less than 1/8 of an inch in length. As arachnids and relatives of spiders, they have eight legs and are dark reddish brown in color, growing darker after feeding on a host. Deer ticks prefer to hide in grass and shrubs and are often found in transitional areas where the forest meets a field or a manicured lawn meets an untended fence line or tall grass.
Important Note: Ticks are not born infected with disease agents — they acquire them when feeding on other animals. This means a tick’s ability to transmit disease depends on what it has fed on previously, making all species a potential concern regardless of where you encounter them.
Tick-Borne Diseases in New Mexico
New Mexico’s tick species can carry several serious diseases. While the state’s overall incidence rates are lower than more tick-dense regions of the country, the diseases themselves range from uncomfortable to potentially life-threatening.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF)
Rocky Mountain spotted fever — also known as tick-borne typhus fever — is caused by the bacterium Rickettsia rickettsii. The incubation period is 3 to 14 days. Symptoms include sudden onset of fever and chills, headache, severe muscle pain, and bloodshot eyes. A rash may appear two to four days after the onset of fever, usually beginning on the extremities and gradually spreading to most of the body.
Outbreaks are not common in New Mexico, but the Navajo Nation saw more than 360 cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever between 2003 and 2016, including 21 cases that were fatal. Rocky Mountain spotted fever is commonly reported throughout the Western U.S., with the majority of cases in New Mexico reported in the northern part of the state.
The case-fatality rate is about 5% per year; for untreated cases the case-fatality rate is 15–25%. RMSF is treatable with antibiotics. Early treatment with the antibiotic doxycycline can prevent death and severe illness.
Tularemia (Rabbit Fever)
Tularemia is a plague-like disease caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis. Symptoms include sudden onset of chills, fever, headache, malaise, diarrhea, and vomiting. The incubation period is usually 4 to 5 days but can range from 1 to 14 days. There may be an ulcerated sore at the site of infection, and lymph nodes are usually swollen.
Both nymphs and adults of the Rocky Mountain wood tick can transmit the agent of tularemia to a variety of hosts, including humans, cats, and dogs. This disease is particularly relevant in rural New Mexico where contact with rabbits and rodents is more common.
Colorado Tick Fever
Colorado tick fever is a viral disease spread by ticks from ground squirrels and other small rodents. The primary vector is the Rocky Mountain wood tick, Dermacentor andersoni. The disease is characterized by sudden onset saddleback fever, headache, muscular pain, and a reduction of white blood cells. In contrast to tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, there is typically no accompanying rash.
Lyme Disease
The symptoms of Lyme disease include a distinctive “bull’s-eye” type of skin rash called erythema migrans. An estimated 85% of persons with symptomatic Lyme disease have this characteristic rash. Other symptoms may include chills, fever, malaise, fatigue, headache, joint and muscle aches, and swollen lymph nodes.
According to the CDC, New Mexico had only 49 cases of Lyme disease between 2000 and 2018. While Lyme disease risk is lower here than in the Northeast, it is not zero — particularly as tick ranges continue to shift. For a deeper look at one serious tick-borne illness that affects global travelers, you can also read about tick-borne encephalitis.
Relapsing Fever and Tick Paralysis
Relapsing fever cases are rare in New Mexico; two cases occurred in Colfax County in the summer of 1996, and an outbreak in San Juan County in August 2002 resulted in additional cases. Separately, only five species of North American ticks can cause paralysis, one of which — Dermacentor andersoni — is found in New Mexico. Rocky Mountain wood tick saliva contains a neurotoxin that can occasionally cause tick paralysis in humans and pets, usually inducing an ascending paralysis that dissipates within 24–72 hours after tick removal.
Common Mistake: Many people assume that because New Mexico is dry and desert-like, tick-borne illness isn’t a real concern. The bacterial illness can be difficult to detect — if a patient goes to a doctor complaining of fever and headache, Rocky Mountain spotted fever may not be the first diagnosis considered. Always mention recent outdoor activity or a known tick bite to your healthcare provider.
High-Risk Areas and Habitats in New Mexico
Understanding where ticks live in New Mexico helps you take smarter precautions before heading outdoors. Ticks don’t jump or fly — they wait for a host to brush past them in a behavior called “questing.”
Where Ticks Prefer to Live
Ticks live in wooded and grassy areas, including cool areas around yards and homes. They can live anywhere vegetation — including leaf litter — is present, typically in shaded areas. Woodlands, brushy areas, and groundcover vegetation provide suitable tick habitat, with fewer ticks found in ornamental vegetation and lawn. Ticks also favor the transition zone between manicured lawn and woods or brush.
Rocky Mountain wood ticks prefer wooded habitats with low-growing vegetation, around trails and grasslands where larger animals commonly pass by, and thrive in areas that are also accessible to humans. In New Mexico specifically, south-central and southwestern New Mexico spans a large, arid region encompassing the Chihuahuan desert, Montane, High Plains, and Madrean Archipelago ecoregions — and due to this landscape diversity, the region represents a hotspot of vertebrate diversity, providing a plethora of host species for tick attachment.
Geographic Hotspots in New Mexico
- Northern New Mexico (Taos, Santa Fe, Los Alamos areas): The majority of Rocky Mountain spotted fever cases in New Mexico are reported in the northern part of the state. In northern New Mexico, an increase in tick populations in 2025 is likely due to milder winters and earlier springs caused by climate change, which allow ticks to survive and reproduce for longer periods.
- Navajo Nation: This region has experienced some of the most significant RMSF outbreaks in the state’s history, largely tied to high populations of stray dogs that harbor brown dog ticks.
- Mountain elevations (4,000–10,500 ft): The Rocky Mountain wood tick is found from elevations of 4,000 to 10,500 feet — covering much of New Mexico’s mountainous terrain including the Sangre de Cristo and Sacramento ranges.
- Urban yards with dogs: The brown dog tick is found throughout New Mexico but is mostly restricted to urban areas, always associated with dogs, and mostly in yards with dogs.
Spending time outside walking your dog, camping, gardening, or hunting can bring you into close contact with ticks. Many people encounter ticks in their own yards or neighborhoods. You can also reduce tick populations naturally — learn about the animals that eat ticks and how supporting them in your environment can help.
Pro Tip: Bright, sunny areas are less likely to harbor ticks. Consider adopting xeriscape landscaping techniques by using gravel pathways and mulches, particularly between the lawn and wooded or brushy areas.
How to Protect Yourself, Children and Pets During Tick Season in New Mexico
Prevention is your most effective tool against tick bites and tick-borne illness. The good news is that a consistent set of habits can significantly reduce your risk, whether you’re heading into the backcountry or just spending time in your backyard.
Personal Protection
- Use repellent on skin: In areas where ticks are prevalent, use repellents that contain 20 to 30% DEET on exposed skin and clothing for protection that lasts up to several hours.
- Treat clothing and gear: Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin. Permethrin can treat boots, clothing, and camping gear and remain protective through several washings.
- Dress appropriately: If you’re planning to visit known tick habitats like woods and rivers, dress in light-colored garments to make spotting ticks easier. Wear clothing that covers as much skin as possible, including pants, long-sleeved shirts, and closed-toed shoes.
- Stay on trails: The best way to prevent a tick encounter is to stay on the center of trails when hiking or walking a dog.
- Tumble dry clothes after outdoor time: Tumble clothes in a dryer on high heat for up to an hour to kill remaining ticks. Some research suggests that shorter drying times may also be effective, particularly if the clothing is not wet.
After Being Outdoors
Upon returning home, do a full tick check of your body. Pay particular attention to warm, hidden areas: behind the knees, in the groin, under the arms, around the waistband, in and around the ears, and in the hair. Children should be checked carefully, especially around the hairline and neck.
Protecting Pets
Dogs — New Mexico’s most common household pet — are very susceptible to tick bites and tick-borne diseases. Vaccines are not available for all tick-borne diseases that dogs can get, and they don’t keep dogs from bringing ticks into your home.
Chemical products to protect dogs from ticks are available as spot-ons, sprays, collars, powders, and dips, with ingredients including insecticides such as pyrethrin, permethrin, amitraz, fipronil, or imidacloprid. Cats are extremely sensitive to a variety of chemicals — do not apply any tick products to your cats without first consulting your veterinarian.
For more guidance on keeping your dog safe, read these 7 tips for preventing tick-borne diseases in your dog.
Yard and Home Management
| Action | Why It Helps |
|---|---|
| Keep grass mowed short | Removes shaded, moist environments ticks prefer |
| Remove leaf litter and weeds | Eliminates prime tick resting habitat |
| Move woodpiles away from the home | Reduces rodent activity that brings ticks near your house |
| Remove bird feeders near the house | Bird feeders can otherwise draw ticks to your house |
| Trim shrubs along lawn edges | Ticks favor the transition zone between lawn and woods — trimming shrubs along the lawn edge reduces this habitat |
| Use gravel or mulch barriers | Creates a tick-unfriendly zone between lawn and vegetation |
What to Do If You Find a Tick in New Mexico
Finding a tick attached to your skin is understandably alarming, but staying calm and acting quickly and correctly gives you the best outcome. The method of removal matters — doing it wrong can increase your risk of infection.
How to Remove a Tick Safely
- Use fine-tipped tweezers: Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible, then pull upward with steady, even pressure. Avoid twisting or jerking the tick, as this can cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin.
- Clean the bite area: Once the tick is removed, thoroughly clean the bite site with soap and water.
- Do not use heat or folk remedies: The idea of applying a hot match to a tick is a bad one — the tick might react by vomiting into your skin, which can cause all sorts of other problems.
- Dispose of the tick properly: The best way to kill a tick after removing it is to crush it. Don’t assume you will kill one by flushing it down the toilet — ticks are light and tend to float, and if a tick is alive when flushed, it could start climbing the toilet walls.
- Monitor for symptoms: If you develop a rash, headaches, pains, or fever after a tick bite, call a doctor immediately.
Important Note: The results from blood tests for tick-borne illness can take weeks to be returned, and because some types of tick-borne illnesses can be fatal, the antibiotic is usually administered right away when there is reasonable clinical suspicion. Don’t wait for test results if your doctor suspects a tick-borne illness.
Should You Save the Tick?
There is no need to save the tick for post-mortem testing in New Mexico. According to an environmental scientist with the state Department of Health, the state does not test ticks for bacterial diseases because they are so rare. However, you can preserve a tick for identification by placing it directly into a small vial containing alcohol, sealing this vial into a plastic bag, and sending it to the Zoonoses Program of the New Mexico Department of Health in Santa Fe along with information on where the tick was collected.
When to See a Doctor
If you become ill after having been bitten by a tick, having been in the woods, or in areas with high brush where ticks commonly live, see your healthcare provider. Symptoms of concern include fever, rash, severe headache, muscle aches, and fatigue — especially within two weeks of a known or suspected tick bite. Be sure to tell your doctor about your outdoor activities and any tick exposure.
Reporting Tick Bites and Tick-Borne Illness in New Mexico
Knowing how and when to report a tick bite or suspected tick-borne illness is an important step — both for your own health and for public health tracking in New Mexico.
Reporting to the New Mexico Department of Health
Tick-borne diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, and relapsing fever are reportable conditions in New Mexico. If you are diagnosed with a tick-borne illness, your healthcare provider is required to report it to the New Mexico Department of Health (NMDOH). You can also contact the NMDOH Epidemiology and Response Division directly if you have concerns about tick-borne disease exposure.
According to Paul Ettestad, public health veterinarian with the New Mexico Department of Health, there are usually a few cases of Rocky Mountain spotted fever every year in New Mexico and occasional cases of diseases such as relapsing fever and Colorado tick fever. Prompt reporting helps the department track disease trends and respond to potential outbreaks.
Tick Identification Submission
If you want to have a tick identified, you can submit it to the state for examination. Ticks can be preserved for identification by placing them directly into a small vial containing alcohol, sealing this vial into a plastic bag, and sending it to the Zoonoses Program of the New Mexico Department of Health in Santa Fe along with information on where the tick was collected.
Tracking and Surveillance
Robust tick surveillance enhances diagnosis and prevention of tick-borne pathogens, yet surveillance efforts in the United States are highly uneven, resulting in large surveillance vacuums — one of which spans the state of New Mexico. Researchers from New Mexico State University and other institutions are working to improve this, but your reports of tick encounters and bites contribute to a more complete picture of tick activity across the state.
You can also report tick sightings and bites through the CDC’s tick resources page, which maintains updated surveillance maps and guidance for both the public and healthcare providers. For tick-borne illness reporting guidance specific to your county, contact your local New Mexico public health office.
Key Insight: Timely diagnosis of tick-borne diseases by health care providers, use of appropriate personal protection by the public, and recognition of increased incidence or expansion of ticks and tick-borne pathogens by the scientific and public health communities all depend upon comprehensive and sustained tick surveillance. Your reports matter.
Staying Informed Year-Round
Tick activity in New Mexico is evolving. An increase in tick populations in 2025 is likely due to a combination of factors: milder winters and earlier springs due to climate change allow ticks to survive and reproduce for longer periods, leading to larger populations. Staying connected to NMDOH updates and local health advisories — especially heading into spring each year — is one of the most practical things you can do to stay ahead of tick season.
If you enjoy hunting or other outdoor pursuits across the Southwest and beyond, being tick-aware is part of responsible outdoor recreation. You can explore other seasonal outdoor guides on our site, including information on goose hunting season in Colorado and goose hunting season in Texas — two neighboring states where tick awareness is equally important for hunters spending time in the field.