Black-Legged Tick (Deer Tick)

The black-legged tick (Ixodes scapularis), commonly called the deer tick, is present throughout South Florida and is the primary vector of Lyme disease in the eastern United States. In Florida, ticks are active year-round — there is no winter diapause as in northern states. Wooded properties, equestrian communities, and homes bordering natural areas have the highest exposure risk.

How to Identify Black-Legged Tick (Deer Tick)

Breeding & Habitat

Two-year lifecycle with four stages: egg → larva → nymph → adult. Larvae hatch in summer, feed on small mammals (white-footed mice), and overwinter as nymphs. Nymphs are the primary Lyme disease transmission stage in spring and summer. Adults feed on deer and larger mammals in fall and winter. All stages can bite humans.

Why This Species Is a Problem in South Florida

Parkland, Southwest Ranches, Davie, and Weston — all Everglades-adjacent communities with wooded lots and deer populations — have documented deer tick activity. Equestrian properties are particularly high-risk. In South Florida's warm climate, nymphs and adults are active in every month of the year, unlike the seasonal patterns seen in northern states.

How We Control Black-Legged Tick (Deer Tick)

Barrier spray to the tick-habitat zone (leaf litter, tall grass, brush edges, wood piles) dramatically reduces tick populations. Granular applications to mulch beds and ground cover target nymphs in the larval resting zone. For properties with wildlife corridors or wooded buffers, regular perimeter treatment every 3–4 weeks during peak season is the most effective approach.