Tick Season in Michigan: What You Need to Know to Stay Safe

Tick season in Michigan is arriving earlier and lasting longer than it used to. Ticks in Michigan are active earlier than you might think — often by mid-March — and Lyme disease cases in Michigan have increased by 168% over the last five years, with the state recording 1,215 cases in 2024 compared to 452 cases in 2020.

Whether you’re hiking through the Upper Peninsula, letting your dog run in the backyard, or spending a weekend at a state park, knowing when and where ticks are active can make a real difference for your health. This guide walks you through everything you need to know about tick season in Michigan — from the species you’re most likely to encounter to what to do if one finds you first.

Key Insight: Ticks do not jump or fly. They practice “questing” — crawling to the tip of a grass blade or shrub and waiting for a warm-blooded host to brush past. Staying on the center of trails and wearing protective clothing significantly reduces your contact risk.

When Is Tick Season in Michigan

Michigan’s tick season is between April and September, when the temperature outside is above 40°F. However, the window is wider than many people realize. Tick season in Michigan typically begins in mid-March, once temperatures rise above 35 to 40 degrees Fahrenheit, with blacklegged ticks — the primary carriers of Lyme disease — active from early spring through late fall.

Lyme disease is a year-round problem in many parts of the U.S., including certain areas in Northern Michigan, with April through October generally considered the most active tick season. Even in winter, ticks can stir. According to Michigan State University tick researcher Jean Tsao, anything above 35–40 degrees for a few days can bring adult blacklegged ticks back into activity — and that can happen anytime in the winter, but certainly by mid-March.

The blacklegged tick life cycle also shapes when your risk peaks throughout the year. Larvae seek their first host in summer, molt, and then overwinter as nymphs. Nymphs find their second host in the spring, molt, and may begin host-seeking in the fall as adults. Adults overwinter and then host-seek again during the following spring. This means you face two distinct risk windows each year.

Important Note: Nymphs in May through July cause the greatest number of Lyme disease cases — and because nymphs are tiny (about the size of a poppy seed), they are far easier to miss during a tick check.

Types of Ticks Found in Michigan

There are over 20 known tick species in Michigan. Most often, ticks survive by feeding on wildlife, but several species are known to bite people and pets and may harbor dangerous bacteria, viruses, or parasites. Of these, five species account for the vast majority of human encounters.

American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis)
The American dog tick is widespread in Michigan, favoring grassy and slightly wooded areas. These ticks are known to parasitize a variety of hosts, including humans, dogs, and other mammals, and are active from April to September. They can transmit diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever, though it’s less common in Michigan. According to MDHHS, the American dog tick accounts for about 70% of ticks submitted in Michigan — making it the species you’re most likely to encounter.

Blacklegged Tick (Ixodes scapularis)
Also known as the deer tick, the blacklegged tick is of particular concern in Michigan due to its ability to transmit Lyme disease, among other infections. These ticks prefer wooded, brushy areas and are most active from May to July, though they can be encountered in other months if temperatures are above freezing. Blacklegged ticks make up about 20% of ticks submitted in Michigan.

Lone Star Tick (Amblyomma americanum)
Known as an aggressive biter, the lone star tick has recently become more prevalent in Michigan, feasting on both animals and humans. Its painless, often unnoticed bite rarely leaves a mark — but it can cause a temporary red meat allergy. Lone Star ticks were first discovered in Michigan in Kalamazoo County in 2022 and have an established presence in Southwest Michigan, but may also be starting to spread to other parts of the state. The female is identifiable by a distinctive white dot on her back.

Woodchuck Tick and Brown Dog Tick
The woodchuck tick and brown dog tick round out the top five species most likely to bite humans in Michigan. The brown dog tick is notable because it is occasionally found in Michigan and can uniquely survive and breed in indoor environments, having been associated with kennel, shelter, and breeding facilities.

Pro Tip: Understanding how ticks reproduce can help you better anticipate when and where population surges are most likely in your area.

Tick-Borne Diseases in Michigan

Tick-borne diseases, particularly Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, are increasing across the state. Knowing the symptoms of each illness — and acting quickly — can dramatically improve your outcome if you are bitten.

Lyme Disease
Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common tick-borne disease in Michigan. According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, more than 80% of the state’s counties are potentially at risk for Lyme disease due to the presence of blacklegged ticks. Early symptoms typically include a bull’s-eye rash, fever, fatigue, headache, and muscle aches. The majority of cases can be treated successfully with antibiotics; however, if left untreated, Lyme disease may spread to the heart and/or the nervous system.

Anaplasmosis
Anaplasmosis, caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum, is the second most common tick-borne disease in Michigan and cases are increasing, particularly in the northern parts of the state. Both Lyme disease and anaplasmosis are transmitted by Ixodes scapularis, commonly known as the blacklegged or deer tick. People with anaplasmosis will often have fever, headache, chills, and muscle aches. Doxycycline is the drug of choice for adults and children of all ages with anaplasmosis, according to the CDC.

Babesiosis
Babesiosis is a malaria-like illness also transmitted by the blacklegged tick. Tick bites can lead to babesiosis along with other diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and ehrlichiosis. These typically cause fever, headache, chills, and muscle aches or worse. Babesiosis can be particularly serious for people who are elderly, immunocompromised, or who have had their spleen removed. To learn more about tick-borne encephalitis and related neurological tick illnesses, it helps to understand the broader family of tick-transmitted pathogens.

Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Ehrlichiosis
Though rare, the American dog tick can spread diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The lone star tick can transmit diseases such as ehrlichiosis and Southern tick-associated rash illness (STARI).

Alpha-Gal Syndrome
Alpha-gal syndrome is a serious, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can occur after people eat red meat or are exposed to other products containing alpha-gal. According to the CDC, there is some evidence that the molecule that causes this red meat allergy can be found in the saliva of certain types of ticks. This condition is associated with the lone star tick and has been documented in Michigan.

Important Note: Signs and symptoms of tick-borne disease typically begin one to two weeks after a tick bite, often after being in wooded or brushy areas. Early symptoms can be non-specific and include fever or chills, rash, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches. Early treatment with appropriate antibiotics can decrease the risk of serious complications.

High-Risk Areas and Habitats in Michigan

Michigan, with its diverse landscapes from dense forests to grassy fields, provides a suitable habitat for several tick species. Understanding where ticks concentrate most heavily helps you make smarter decisions before and during outdoor activities.

The highest-risk zones in Michigan are concentrated in specific geographic regions. Especially prevalent along the west coast of Michigan, including many Northern Michigan counties, the blacklegged tick can transmit Lyme disease as well as other notable infections such as anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Areas such as Grand Traverse, Benzie, Leelanau, and Missaukee in the Northern Lower Peninsula frequently report elevated tick activity and Lyme cases, driven by a combination of recreational activities in wooded areas and suitable tick habitats.

Milder winters reduce tick die-off, and longer warm seasons give ticks more time to feed and reproduce. What was once a northern Michigan concern has spread into Macomb, Oakland, and other Southeast Michigan counties. If you’re heading outdoors in Michigan — for deer hunting season or goose hunting season — be aware that wooded and brushy habitats across the state carry tick risk.

Within any given area, certain micro-habitats pose greater risk than others. Your well-mowed lawn is relatively low-risk. The danger zones are the edges — leaf litter and woody debris along fence lines and garden beds, and tall grass and overgrown shrubs, especially in shaded, moist areas.

Pro Tip: Even areas designated as “low-risk” or “moderate-risk” on the Michigan Lyme Disease Risk Map are not risk-free. Tick populations are dynamic and can expand, so personal preventative measures are always necessary regardless of your location.

Common high-risk environments across Michigan include:

• Dense hardwood and mixed forests throughout the Upper Peninsula and Northern Lower Peninsula
• Trail edges with tall grasses, shrubs, and leaf litter
• Backyards that border wooded lots or fields
• Areas with high deer or rodent populations (which serve as tick hosts)
• Campgrounds, parks, and recreational areas near water
• Brushy transition zones between lawns and woodland

Nature also provides some help with tick control. Certain animals that eat ticks — including opossums, guinea fowl, and some bird species — naturally reduce tick populations in areas where they are present.

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

Protecting yourself during tick season in Michigan doesn’t require avoiding the outdoors entirely — it simply requires a few consistent habits before, during, and after your time outside.

Personal Protection

Wear long pants, long-sleeved shirts, and closed-toe shoes to help keep ticks from latching onto your skin. Light-colored clothing can also make spotting ticks easier. Tuck your pants into your socks and use pants that have an elastic waistband, as this can create more of a barrier for ticks.

When it comes to repellents, choose wisely. The CDC recommends using EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. For your clothing and gear, treat clothes — especially pants, socks, and shoes — with permethrin, which kills ticks on contact, or buy clothes that are pre-treated. Do not use permethrin directly on skin.

After Being Outdoors

1. Shower promptly. Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors — preferably within two hours — to wash off and more easily find ticks.
2. Dry your clothes on high heat. Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any ticks hiding on dry clothing. If clothes must be washed first, use hot water, as cold and medium temperatures will not kill ticks.
3. Do a full-body tick check. Check your scalp, ears, underarms, belly button, waist, back, behind the knees, pelvic area, and inner leg areas. Ticks search for warm, moist areas of the body, so these spots are most attractive.
4. Check children carefully. Pay special attention to children’s hairlines, behind the ears, and under clothing waistbands. Nymphal ticks are especially easy to miss because they are so small.

Protecting Your Pets

Dogs and cats can encounter ticks outdoors and bring them into the home. Talk with your veterinarian about the best tick prevention products. When checking your pet after time outdoors, slowly run your fingers through their fur and look out for any bumps. Don’t just check their torso — also examine their neck, face, toes, ears, and legs.

For dog owners especially, it’s worth reviewing dedicated guidance on preventing tick-borne diseases in your dog to understand the full range of preventive options, including tick collars, topical treatments, and oral medications.

Common Mistake: Many people only check the obvious spots on their pets. Ticks frequently attach in hard-to-see areas — between the toes, inside the ear canal, under the collar, and around the tail. A thorough check takes at least two to three minutes.

Yard and Home Protection

Keep your grass routinely mowed and free of leaf debris. Stack wood tightly and in dry areas to discourage rodents — and therefore ticks. If your home borders the woods, keep recreational areas as far from the trees as possible, and consider a 3-foot barrier of wood chips or gravel to prevent ticks from making their way to your lawn.

What to Do If You Find a Tick in Michigan

Finding a tick attached to your skin is unsettling, but staying calm and acting promptly is the most important thing you can do. The sooner you remove a tick, the lower your risk of disease transmission.

How to Remove a Tick Safely

1. Use fine-tipped tweezers. Use fine-tipped tweezers to pinch the mouthparts of the tick at the surface of your skin. Pull the tick straight up and out. If you meet with tension, do not twist or jerk the tick — this could cause the head or mouthparts to remain in your skin.
2. Don’t grab the body. Don’t grab the tick’s body, as this can increase the chance of injecting the tick’s blood into the skin.
3. Clean the bite area. Clean the bite, as well as your hands, with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.
4. Dispose of the tick properly. Dispose of the tick by placing it in a sealed container, wrapping it tightly in tape, flushing it down the toilet, or putting it in alcohol. Do not crush it with your fingers.
5. Avoid folk remedies. Do not use folk remedies like touching the tick with a match or putting petroleum jelly on it. These may actually increase the risk of infection and can hurt you.

Important Note: If the tick is identified as a deer tick and you suspect it was attached for more than 36 hours, speak to your healthcare provider about whether any additional measures are needed.

After Removal: What to Watch For

If you are bitten by a tick, monitor your health. If you develop a rash or fever within a month of removing a tick, see your doctor as soon as possible. Be sure to tell your doctor about your recent tick bite and when the bite occurred.

If you remove a tick yourself, watch for signs of a tick-borne illness. Symptoms may show up in a few days or weeks after a bite. Call your healthcare provider if you notice a rash, which may spread outward in a ring from a hard, white lump, or move up your arms and legs to your chest.

Reporting Tick Bites and Tick-Borne Illness in Michigan

Michigan has a well-organized system for tick reporting and identification, and using it can benefit both your personal health and the broader public health picture across the state.

Free Tick Identification Through MDHHS

Expert tick identification is available for Michigan residents for free through MDHHS. You can either email a picture of the tick to MDHHS-Bugs@michigan.gov or mail the tick to MDHHS for identification. Free tick submission kits are available from your local health department.

Not all ticks spread the same germs. MDHHS can help to identify ticks you may encounter. Residents can email photos of ticks to MDHHS-Bugs@michigan.gov for identification. Michigan citizens can also submit ticks to MDHHS for identification free of charge.

Pro Tip: While MDHHS does not recommend laboratory testing of ticks for diseases, they do encourage residents to take a photo and submit it to MDHHS-Bugs@michigan.gov for identification. Knowing the species helps your doctor assess your risk more accurately.

Reporting Tick-Borne Illness

If you or a family member develops symptoms consistent with a tick-borne illness — including fever, rash, muscle aches, or fatigue within a few weeks of a tick bite — contact your healthcare provider immediately. Your doctor is required to report confirmed cases of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and other tick-borne illnesses to local and state health departments as part of Michigan’s disease surveillance system.

Citizen-reported tick data are available on the MiTracking Data Portal, which helps public health officials track tick populations and disease trends across the state. Submitting your tick — or even just a photo — adds to this dataset and helps researchers understand where tick populations are expanding.

Additional Resources

• Michigan.gov/Lyme — For more information on Lyme disease and other tick-borne conditions, or how to submit your tick and/or photo of a tick, visit Michigan.gov/Lyme.
• CDC.gov/Lyme — Additional information nationally is available at CDC.gov/Lyme.
• CDC Tick Bite Bot — You may also use the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) tool “Tick Bite Bot” for additional guidance after a tick bite.
• MDHHS MiTracking Data Portal — View and contribute to statewide tick surveillance data.

Tick season in Michigan is a real and growing concern, but it’s one you can navigate confidently with the right knowledge. By understanding when ticks are most active, which species pose the greatest risk, and how to protect yourself and your family, you put yourself in the best position to enjoy Michigan’s outdoors safely all season long. If you spend time in the field during hunting seasons — whether for deer or geese — make tick prevention a standard part of your pre-hunt checklist.