When Is Tick Season? Flea and Tick Season by State

When ticks and fleas are most active

The CDC notes that ticks can be met at any time of year but are most active in the warmer months, April through September. VCA Hospitals adds that tick activity is especially high in spring and fall, when temperatures swing between summer heat and winter cold, and that ticks can start hunting for a host whenever the temperature climbs above freezing, even on a mild day with snow on the ground.

Fleas follow a similar pattern. The AKC says both fleas and ticks slow down once temperatures fall below about 45°F, but they do not disappear. A fine-toothed dog comb is one of the simplest tools for the tick checks described below. Flea pupae can sit in their cocoons in carpets, bedding and shaded soil until warmth and movement wake them, and ticks can shelter for months in leaf litter, woodpiles and damp corners of the yard, ready to emerge during the first warm spell.

Flea and tick season by state

The AKC groups states by their typical season. Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas and Washington are listed as year-round. In much of the Northeast and Midwest, including New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri and Iowa, the season runs roughly March to November, while Delaware, Kentucky, Ohio and Rhode Island run to December.

Shorter seasons are listed for parts of the Mountain West and North, such as March to July in Utah and Wyoming, April to August in Idaho, and April to September in states including Illinois, Indiana, Tennessee, Virginia and Vermont. Treat these as rough guides only. The AKC notes the timing shifts from year to year with weather, and warmer winters are bringing parasites out earlier than many owners expect.

Why many vets recommend year-round prevention

Seasonal prevention means guessing when to start and stop, and a warm March or a mild December can catch you out. VCA points out that a warm spring or fall can stretch the season to as long as ten months, and that ticks remain capable of biting all winter on days above freezing. Fleas that get into the house can breed indoors in any season, regardless of the weather outside.

For those reasons, many vets suggest keeping dogs and cats on a preventive all year, and VCA recommends a year-round flea and tick preventive for dogs. The right product depends on your pet's species, age, weight, health and lifestyle, and on which tick-borne diseases are common where you live, so choose it with your vet. Never use a dog flea product on a cat: some ingredients that are safe for dogs are highly toxic to cats.

How to check your dog for ticks

Make a tick check part of coming home from any walk through grass, brush or woods, and the backyard counts. Run your fingers slowly through the coat against the direction of the fur, feeling for small bumps. Pay special attention to the ears and the area around them, the head and neck, under the collar, the armpits, the groin, between the toes and around the tail.

Ticks are easier to find before they attach and swell, so a quick daily check beats a thorough weekly one. The CDC notes that ticks can ride indoors on pets and later attach to people, so check yourself and your clothes too. Long-coated dogs are harder to search; a fine-toothed flea comb helps, and keeping the coat brushed makes ticks easier to see.

Removing a tick and signs of fleas

To remove an attached tick, the AKC advises parting the fur, grasping the tick as close to the skin as possible with fine-pointed tweezers or a tick tool, and pulling straight out with steady pressure, without twisting or squeezing the body. Drop the tick into rubbing alcohol, clean the bite with a gentle antiseptic, and wash your hands. Watch the spot for a few days.

Signs of fleas include persistent scratching or chewing, hair loss, scabs and red bumps, especially around the lower back, tail base and belly. Combing with a flea comb over a white paper towel may turn up flea dirt, tiny black specks that turn reddish when dampened. Treat every pet in the house and wash bedding in hot water, because most of a flea population lives in the home, not on the animal.

When to call your vet

Call your vet if a tick bite becomes red, swollen or oozing, if you cannot remove all of a tick, or if your dog has heavy flea infestations, raw or infected skin, or pale gums, which can point to blood loss in small puppies and kittens. Tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis can cause fever, lethargy, a reduced appetite and lameness that shifts between legs, sometimes weeks after the bite.

Your vet can recommend a preventive, discuss whether a Lyme vaccine makes sense where you live, and run a simple blood test for common tick-borne infections during your dog's annual visit. Mention any trips to new regions, since tick species and the diseases they carry vary a lot across the country.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.