The Tick Almanac
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Ticks in Missouri

Common species, seasonal activity, exposure scenarios, what to do after a bite, and the state’s tick-identification options. Sourced from the state conservation + health + extension agencies.

Common species in Missouri

Missouri follows the split authority source pattern. The species below are drawn from the state-authority sources listed in the sidebar Data Row.

III
4-6 mm
Macro photo of an unfed adult american dog tick with a millimeter scale
American dog tick
Dermacentor variabilis
Identify →
IV
4-6 mm
Macro photo of an unfed adult lone star tick with a millimeter scale
Lone star tick
Amblyomma americanum
Identify →
V
3-4 mm
Macro photo of an unfed adult brown dog tick with a millimeter scale
Brown dog tick
Rhipicephalus sanguineus
Identify →
PRIMARY
  • Lone star tick
  • American dog tick
  • Blacklegged tick
SECONDARY
  • Brown dog tick
  • Gulf Coast tick
EMERGING WATCH
  • Gulf Coast tick (in Missouri surveillance context)
  • Asian longhorned tick (animal/livestock sidebar; Missouri Dept of Agriculture context)

When ticks are most active

Broad prevention caution April through August. MDC reports most ticks are most active April-July and can be encountered nearly any time of year. May-July is the practical lone-star/ehrlichiosis peak when paired with MDC/CDC seasonality support.

Status:source caveated editorial

Where you're most likely to encounter ticks

Hunting properties, Ozarks hiking and camping, wooded and brushy trail edges, tall-grass or weedy suburban yards, dog walking in tall grass, overgrown lots, wildlife-heavy fence lines, pasture/field edges, and brushy acreage.

Disease context

Each disease named below carries an evidence tag per the Data Row policy. Pills indicate the strength of state-specific evidence, not the severity of the disease. Symptoms should always be routed to a clinician; this is orientation, not diagnosis.

  • Alpha-gal syndromestate unique angle

    DHSS + CDC state-specific context; Missouri is in the documented high-incidence cluster

  • Ehrlichiosisstate surveillance confirmed
  • Heartland virusstate surveillance confirmed
  • Bourbon virusstate surveillance confirmed
  • Tularemiastate surveillance confirmed
  • Rocky Mountain spotted feverstate surveillance confirmed
  • STARIregional pattern
  • Lyme diseasenon diagnostic mention only

    Not the lead Missouri frame; route through DHSS Lyme Position Paper

If you find a tick — what to do

Tick-ID program status:state id program absent

Map resolution notes

mixed resolution.MDC and CDC support statewide/general distribution claims. The Missouri Tickborne Disease Story Map, MDC ArcGIS layers, explicitly cited surveillance studies, or other official/public-health data may support county-level, regional, or pathogen-specific claims for the exact field they cover. Otherwise use regional/statewide language and do not invent county-level risk, density, or case patterns.

State sources

Primary species source
Missouri Department of Conservation "Ticks" field guide and MDC "Show-Me Ticks" survey writeup for Missouri species, habitat, distribution, and lone-star dominance framing.
Primary health source
Missouri DHSS Alpha-Gal page, DHSS tickborne disease hub, Missouri Tickborne Disease Story Map, and DHSS Lyme Disease Position Paper for state disease context, reporting, and clinician-routing language.
Primary extension source
MU Extension G7382 "Ticks" and MU Extension IPM1032 "Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases" for species ID, removal, prevention, control, and yard/property guidance.
Surveillance
MDC "Show-Me Ticks," Missouri Tickborne Disease Story Map, CDC range/prevention pages, the Northeast Missouri PMC study, and Missouri Department of Agriculture Asian longhorned tick / Theileria map where surveillance, map, regional-evidence, or animal-health claims are used.