arachnid
Black-legged tick
Ixodes scapularis
CautionNot foodcommon
Deer tick. Lyme and other diseases. Smallest of the common ticks here.
Adult female is dark with a reddish-black body, much smaller than a dog tick. Nymphs are poppy-seed size — the stage that usually infects people.
- Habitat
- Leaf litter, brush, deer trails. Worst May–July for nymphs.
- Season
- Year-round on warm days; peak late spring.
- Size
- Nymph poppy seed; adult sesame seed
- Field marks
- Tiny; black legs; no white ornament on scutum
First aid
Fine tweezers, grab at the skin, pull straight. Wash. Do not burn or oil. A bull’s-eye rash or fever in the next month needs a clinic. Save the tick in a bag.