The American Dog Tick in Kentucky:
What You Need to Know and How to Keep Your Family Safe
Pest Expert Matthew S. Hess, CEO – 06/16/2025
If you’ve ever come in from a hike or a day working in the yard only to discover an uninvited, eight-legged hitchhiker latched onto your skin, there’s a chance you’ve already met the American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis). These ticks are commonly found in grassy areas with tall foliage. Prime habitats include roads, trails, and regions with plants and shrubbery, such as fields, meadows, pastures, and lawns. And yes, ticks are gross!
But they aren’t just gross. They can actually pose serious health risks to both humans and pets. In Kentucky, especially during spring and summer, the American dog tick is one of the most common and active tick species. And while the name suggests they only go after dogs, trust me, they’re not picky.
Let’s look at what makes these ticks tick (pun intended), how to protect yourself and your family, and how Four Seasons Pest Solutions can help when DIY just isn’t enough.
What Is the American Dog Tick?
The American dog tick is part of the Ixodidae family, also known as hard ticks, thanks to the tough outer shield, or scutum, that covers their body. Adults are relatively large for a tick (up to 5mm unfed), with a reddish-brown color and ornate white markings on their backs.
These ticks are three-host ticks, meaning they feed on three different hosts throughout their life cycle, one at each stage: larva, nymph, and adult. They don’t live their entire lives on a single animal like fleas do.
Life Cycle & Biology
The life cycle of the American dog tick spans about two years, depending on environmental conditions. Here’s how it works:
Adult
The final molt creates the adult tick, which targets large mammals, like dogs, deer, and humans, for its final blood meal before reproducing. Once engorged with blood, the female will drop from the host to lay her eggs. Adults are most active throughout Kentucky from March to September, with April to July being their peak.
Eggs
A female tick lays several thousand eggs (4,000-6,500) on the ground, typically in moist or damp soil under leaf litter or tall grass, or other vegetation, then dies. The eggs hatch within 30-60 days (depending on environmental conditions). Once hatched, tiny larvae emerge.
Larva (seed tick)
The tiny (about the size of a pinhead), straw-colored, six-legged larvae hatch from the egg and seek out small hosts like mice or birds for their first blood meal. Once engorged with blood (their food), they will detach and drop to the ground to enter the nymph stage. Larvae are most active from March to April in Kentucky.
Nymph
After molting from the larval stage, they become eight-legged nymphs that feed on slightly larger hosts, like raccoons or opossums. Once engorged, the nymph will drop from the host to molt into an adult. In Kentucky, nymphs are most active from April to July with May and June seeing their peak.
Unlike deer ticks (which transmit Lyme disease), American dog ticks are most active in spring and early summer, particularly in open fields, grassy edges of woods, and along trails, which are common landscapes here in Kentucky.
Habitat & Habits in Kentucky
Kentucky’s warm, humid climate and lush natural areas make it a prime environment for American dog ticks. You’ll commonly find them in:
- Overgrown yards or fence lines
- Tall grass and brush
- Hiking trails and parks
- Edges of wooded areas (they love that border between lawn and wild)
Ticks don’t jump or fly. Instead, they use a strategy called questing: they crawl up to the tips of grass or low vegetation, extend their front legs, and wait for a host to brush by. When you’re out and about in their habitat, especially during their peak seasons, you’re likely to pick one up from time to time.
Why Are They Dangerous?
The American dog tick is a vector, meaning it can carry and transmit diseases. In Kentucky, the biggest concerns are:
- Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (RMSF) – A potentially serious bacterial infection. Symptoms include fever, headache, rash, and nausea. If untreated, it can be fatal.
- Tularemia – A rare bacterial infection that can cause skin ulcers, swollen lymph nodes, and fever.
- Tick paralysis – Caused by a neurotoxin in the tick’s saliva. Though rare, it can cause muscle weakness and requires immediate removal of the tick.
And let’s not forget pets — dogs are frequent victims of heavy infestations and can suffer from anemia, skin infections, and tick-borne illnesses if not protected.
DIY Tick Control Tips
Preventing tick encounters starts with landscape management and personal protection. Here’s what you can do to get rid of ticks:
Yard Maintenance
- Mow your lawn regularly
- Remove brush, tall weeds, and leaf litter
- Create a mulch or gravel barrier between your lawn and wooded areas
- Stack firewood neatly to reduce rodent activity (they’re tick taxis!)
Pet Protection
- Use vet-approved tick preventatives year-round (ticks can stay active into fall)
- Check your dog’s ears, paws, and neck after walks
- Wash pet bedding frequently
Personal Protection
- Wear long sleeves and pants when hiking or gardening
- Tuck pants into socks
- Use an EPA-registered repellent with DEET, permethrin, or picaridin
- Perform tick checks after outdoor activity — especially around armpits, behind knees, and the scalp
Protecting yourself, your family, and your pets is of primary concern. Tick-borne illnesses and diseases are no joke and can be life-changing if not life-threatening! However, personal protection measures to prevent tick bites can be achieved. Check out our Ultimate Guide to Personal Insect Repellents for Mosquitoes and Ticks!
How Four Seasons Pest Solutions Can Help
Even with the best prevention and maintenance you can do yourself, ticks can still find their way onto your property — especially if you live near wooded areas or have pets that roam outside.
At Four Seasons Pest Solutions, we offer professional tick control tailored to Kentucky homeowners:
- Targeted perimeter treatments that create a protective barrier
- Habitat reduction strategies to eliminate nesting and questing zones
- Pet-safe, eco-friendly options
- Ongoing seasonal programs that tackle ticks during their most active months
Our Certified Service Specialists understand tick biology, Kentucky’s landscape, and, most importantly, how to protect your family.
Don’t Let Ticks Take Over Your Yard
If ticks are turning your yard into a danger zone, or you’re simply concerned for your health, your family’s health, and the health of your pets, don’t wait until you find one latched on. Take action now, because your backyard should be a place to relax, not worry about parasites.
Safe for kids. Safe for pets. Tough on ticks.
And remember, it’s okay to live among pests… but you don’t have to live with them!
