Ticks in the Hill Country and San Antonio: ID, Bites and Yard Control

Ticks around San Antonio and the Hill Country are most active from spring through summer, and the two you're most likely to deal with at home are the lone star tick outdoors and the brown dog tick, which can live inside with dogs. If one is attached, pull it off right away with fine-tipped tweezers. To cut ticks around the house, clear brush and leaf litter, keep pets on a vet-chosen preventive and treat the places ticks actually hide, not just the open grass.

To set up a tick inspection, call or text (210) 281-1064 or book online.

Which ticks live around San Antonio? #

Texas has 11 common tick species, according to Texas A&M AgriLife. Five of them do most of the biting of people: the lone star, brown dog, American dog, Gulf Coast and blacklegged ticks.

• Lone star tick. The adult female has a single white spot on her back. The Texas A&M Tick App lists females at 4 to 6 mm before feeding and 16 mm or more when full. CDC describes it as an aggressive biter of people, and AgriLife says it's one of the ticks Texans meet most often outdoors. Adults take blood from dogs, deer, horses, cattle, feral hogs and people.
• Brown dog tick. Plain brown with no markings. It's the tick most often found in cities and towns, feeds mainly on dogs and lives in homes, kennels and pens. After feeding it climbs walls, fences and trees to rest.
• American dog tick. The female is dark brown with a cream-colored, patterned shield. Adult ticks prefer coyotes and dogs and also feed on raccoons, opossums, livestock and people.
• Blacklegged (deer) tick. Plain, with no standout markings. Across the southern states, adults are out from fall through spring.

How do ticks find you? #

Ticks can't jump or fly, and they don't drop out of trees. They wait at the tips of grass and shrubs, a habit called questing, and grab on as you brush past. They sense breath, body odor, heat, moisture and vibration. AgriLife notes a tick may crawl around for hours before it bites, which is why a careful check soon after being outside pays off.

Most ticks eat, fall off to digest the meal and molt, and then hunt for another host. That matters on Hill Country lots where deer wander through. Some cities restrict feeding them; Fair Oaks Ranch, for example, bans feeding wildlife, especially deer, inside city limits. Fewer animals crossing the yard means fewer fed ticks left behind in the brush.

When is tick season in South Texas? #

DSHS says tick activity is highest in spring and summer, the warm part of the year, and AgriLife reports numbers usually top out in summer and fall off in autumn. The Tick App adds detail by species:

• Lone star adults may be out as early as January, with the peak running March to May. Nymphs are active from April into August.
• Brown dog ticks are active from late spring into early fall and may stay active all year where it's warm, including inside homes.

AgriLife also notes that a mild winter followed by a wet spring can mean more ticks than usual.

How do you remove a tick? #

The CDC's tick bite steps are simple:

• Grip the tick as close to the skin as you can with clean, fine-tipped tweezers.
• Pull upward slowly and evenly, without twisting or jerking.
• If mouthparts stay in the skin and won't come out easily, leave them; the skin usually pushes them out.
• Clean the bite area, and your hands, using soap and water or rubbing alcohol.
• Get rid of the tick by sealing it in a bag or container, wrapping it in tape, soaking it in alcohol or flushing it. Never crush it with your fingers.

Don't wait for a doctor's appointment to remove a tick. Skip nail polish, petroleum jelly and heat, which CDC warns against. The same tweezer method works on pets.

What illnesses can Texas ticks spread? #

The tick-borne diseases DSHS tracks in Texas are tularemia, ehrlichiosis, anaplasmosis, spotted fever rickettsiosis, Lyme disease and tick-borne relapsing fever. By species, the CDC links:

• Lone star tick to ehrlichiosis, tularemia and Heartland and Bourbon viruses. It's also the tick most tied to alpha-gal syndrome, a red-meat allergy; reactions usually begin 2 to 6 hours after a meal.
• American dog tick to Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia.
• Brown dog tick to Rocky Mountain spotted fever in the Southwest and along the border.
• Blacklegged tick to Lyme disease and several other infections.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever can be deadly, and CDC says early treatment can prevent death and severe illness. A little red spot at the bite that disappears within a day or two is normal and isn't a sign of Lyme. If a rash or fever shows up within several weeks, see a provider and mention the date of the bite and where it happened.

Is Lyme disease common in Texas? #

No. DSHS describes Texas as a state with low Lyme incidence and says most Texas cases were picked up somewhere else. AgriLife puts the number at fewer than 100 cases a year.

Should I get a tick tested? #

DSHS will test ticks that were attached to Texas residents at no cost, with results in about 2 weeks, but the testing is for disease tracking, not diagnosis. The CDC says tick test results shouldn't be used to decide treatment, and a negative result can give false reassurance. Watch for symptoms instead.

How do you keep ticks off people and pets? #

• Use an EPA-registered insect repellent and follow the label, including its age limits for children.
• CDC also recommends clothing and gear treated with a clothing-only tick product.
• Wear light-colored clothes and tuck your pant legs into your socks or boots so ticks are easy to spot.
• After time outside, run outdoor clothes in the dryer on high for 10 minutes and shower within two hours.
• Check the waist, between the legs, behind the knees, the belly button, under the arms, around the ears and along the hairline.
• Check dogs every day and ask your veterinarian which tick preventive to use. Cats are very sensitive to chemicals, so never put a tick product on a cat unless your vet approves it.

How do you make a yard less friendly to ticks? #

The CDC's prevention guidance reminds people that many tick bites happen in their own yard. Its tick-safe yard steps:

• Clear leaf litter, tall grass and brush, and mow often.
• Put a 3-foot border of gravel or wood chips where the yard meets the woods.
• Stack firewood neatly in a dry spot.
• Keep play sets and patios away from the yard's edges and trees.
• Fence out deer, stray dogs and raccoons.
• Haul off old furniture, mattresses and junk.

CDC adds that pesticides can lower tick numbers where they're applied, though spraying shouldn't be the whole plan. For brown dog ticks, AgriLife says the dog should be treated by a veterinarian, and the places ticks rest, such as dog houses, siding, fences and tree trunks, need attention along with the ground. It also warns that tick insecticides used the wrong way can hurt pets and children.

How does Pest Trappers handle ticks? #

We help homeowners with ticks across Boerne, Fair Oaks Ranch, Bulverde, Bandera and Kerrville, as well as San Antonio.

• Inspection. The technician looks at where ticks are likely living: brushy edges, leaf litter, dog runs, kennels and the walls and fences brown dog ticks climb.
• Options. You'll hear what can be treated, what habitat changes will help and what your veterinarian should handle for the pets.
• Label rules. Products are applied only as their labels allow. The work is done under Pest Trappers LLC (TPCL #0887549), a family-owned San Antonio company.
• Related pests. Ticks often travel with fleas and with wildlife that crosses the yard, so we look at those too.

Pricing is quoted after the inspection. Book online or call or text (210) 281-1064, and the office will confirm your appointment. Se habla español.

Frequently asked questions #