PATHWAY 01 urgent
I just found one
A tick on you, on a kid, or on the dog. Don't panic — there is a right way and a wrong way to remove it.
How to remove a tick safely →Vol. I · Issue 4 · May 2026 · Michigan edition
A field guide to ticks
in your part of the country.
Identify the species, remove the bite, protect the dog, treat the yard — without the alarmism. Reviewed by a medical doctor and a veterinarian. Sources cited.
Build my tick kit
or jump to tick identification
5 U.S. species · 26 state guides · 19 articles · medically & veterinarily reviewed
Find your pathway
What brought you here today?
PATHWAY 02
I have a dog
Prevention products, weekly tick checks, what to do after a bite, and the truth about isoxazolines.
Best flea & tick prevention for dogs → PATHWAY 03
I'm going outside
Permethrin on clothing, picaridin on skin, gaiters in the woods. Plus what to skip.
Best tick repellent for humans → PATHWAY 04
My yard has them
Habitat changes do most of the work. Sprays and tubes are second-line. Real evidence, real tradeoffs.
How to keep ticks out of your yard →Tick Watch · curated
What's changed lately
Auto-refreshed daily from CDC, FDA, EPA, and state health sources via filtered search. Click any item to read at the source.
recallMay 25, 2026
Safe Use of Flea and Tick Products in Pets | FDA
FDA Animal & Veterinary recalls
recallMay 25, 2026
Fact Sheet for Pet Owners and Veterinarians about Potential Adverse Events Associated with Isoxazoline Flea and Tick Products | FDA
FDA Animal & Veterinary recalls
advisoryMay 25, 2026
Efficacy of Unregulated Minimum Risk Products to Kill and Repel Ticks - Volume 30, Number 1—January 2024 - Emerging Infectious Diseases journal - CDC
EPA / CDC advisory
label changeMay 25, 2026
Neurologic Event Potential Associated with Certain Flea/Tick Products
FDA Center for Veterinary Medicine
researchMay 25, 2026
[PDF] Diagnosis and Management of Tickborne Rickettsial Diseases - CDC
Peer-reviewed research
newsMay 25, 2026
Meat, dairy allergies from tick bites "skyrocketing" on Martha's ...
National news
newsMay 25, 2026
Alpha-gal syndrome: Tick-induced red meat allergy may be caused by other species
National news
newsMay 25, 2026
Check For Ticks! Experts Warn Of Increased Lyme Disease Risk In Southeast Michigan - CBS Detroit
National news
newsMay 25, 2026
Ticks can 'fly,' a 'shocking' discovery | National Geographic
Science journalism
newsMay 25, 2026
Ticks on Uptick Where Big Game Declines - Scientific American
Science journalism
videoMay 25, 2026
How to Remove a Tick from Your Pet | MedVet - YouTube
YouTube
videoMay 25, 2026
How to Remove a Tick From Your Cat | Chewtorials
YouTube
discussionMay 25, 2026
Basic symptoms from a tick bite (non-disease) : r/Lyme - Reddit
Reddit discussion
discussionMay 25, 2026
2 days after tick bite. Dr. says it could still be a normal reaction and I ...
Reddit discussion
Where ticks are right now
National overview, updated weekly
A composite of CDC TickNET, state health surveillance, and university extension reports. Hover any region to read the species mix, peak window, and dominant disease context for that area.
REGIONAL OVERVIEW MAP · interactive
rendered 2026-05-26
U.S. Lyme disease incidence by state
CDC TickNET · cases per 100k population
Hover any state for context · click a published state to open its guide
Source: CDC TickNET — state-level Lyme incidence (placeholder data; replace with real CDC export)
Cluster · Tick basics
The five U.S. ticks worth knowing
Each species is identified from commissioned macro photographs, sized against a scale bar, cross-referenced with extension & CDC sources, and reviewed by an entomologist.
I
3–5 mm
Blacklegged
Ixodes scapularis
Eastern U.S. Lyme vector. Nymphs and adult females are the main human-bite stages.
Identify →II
3–4 mm
Western blackleg
Ixodes pacificus
Pacific Coast Lyme vector. Local risk varies strongly by county and habitat.
Identify →III
4–6 mm
American dog
Dermacentor variabilis
Ornate scutum. East of the Rockies, with limited western distribution.
Identify →IV
4–6 mm
Lone star
Amblyomma americanum
Aggressive human-biter. Adult female has the single pale “lone star” dot.
Identify →V
3–4 mm
Brown dog
Rhipicephalus sang.
Dogs are the primary host. Can establish in kennels and indoor dog environments.
Identify →★ THE CORE TOOL
Build a tick kit for your
state, your pet, your yard.
Six questions, two minutes. We start with your state, your situation, and who needs protection — then route around the things that would actually hurt you. Save the result.
Start the quiz ~2 min · no signup required
EXAMPLE OUTPUT · ACREAGE OWNER, MISSOURI
- ESSENTIALFine-tipped tweezers · Tick Check Checklist
- USEFULTick tubes · permethrin clothing spray
- SITUATIONALYard-spray category · regional lone-star briefing
- SUPPRESSEDCat-toxicity rules removed permethrin spot-ons.
The trust standard
What every page on this site carries
01
Named human author
No anonymous bylines. Author bio, credentials, and prior published pieces on every byline page.
02
Medical or vet reviewer
Tier-2 medical, Tier-3 veterinary. Reviewer name, credentials, and last-reviewed date visible above the fold.
03
Primary sources cited
CDC, EPA, state health, university extension, peer-reviewed. Inline citations, not a footer link dump.
04
FTC disclosure first
Affiliate links appear only after the answer. Never inside symptom, removal, or veterinary copy.