Straight answers from a licensed New York exterminator and Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) — serving all five boroughs, in English and Spanish.
Get a Free Estimate →⏱ 2 min read
Quick answer: Ticks are small arachnids with eight legs (not insects), 1–5 mm when unfed — from poppy-seed to apple-seed size — with flat, oval, brown-to-reddish-black bodies. After feeding they swell up, turning grayish and round like a small pea. The three you’re most likely to encounter around New York are the blacklegged (deer) tick, the American dog tick, and the lone star tick.
What ticks look like
Unfed ticks are flat and teardrop/oval-shaped with eight legs (six in the larval stage). Color ranges from reddish-brown to dark brown or black, sometimes with markings. Once attached and feeding, a tick’s body balloons and lightens to gray — an engorged tick looks very different from an unfed one, which is why people sometimes don’t recognize them.
Common ticks in the NYC area
- Blacklegged (deer) tick: very small (nymphs are poppy-seed-sized), reddish-brown with darker legs. The primary carrier of Lyme disease — and the small size is exactly why it’s easy to miss.
- American dog tick: larger, brown with off-white/silvery markings on the back.
- Lone star tick: reddish-brown; females have a single white dot (“lone star”) on the back.
Ticks vs. insects (quick check)
Ticks have eight legs and don’t have wings or antennae, which separates them from six-legged insects like bed bugs and fleas. They also attach to skin to feed, rather than biting and leaving.
Bites, removal, and when to worry
If you find an attached tick, remove it promptly with fine-tipped tweezers: grasp close to the skin and pull straight up steadily — don’t twist or crush it. Clean the area. Watch for a spreading “bull’s-eye” rash, fever, or flu-like symptoms in the following days and consult a doctor if they appear. Ticks are picked up outdoors in tall grass, leaf litter, and brushy yard edges — common around parks and the outer boroughs/suburbs.
Ticks in your yard? Reducing tick habitat and targeted yard treatment lowers your exposure. New York Exterminating’s NYC mosquito & tick control is led by an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE). Call (347) 210-4646.
A Brooklyn-based, NYSDEC-registered company (Reg. #15140) led by Jorge Bedoya, an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE). For pests in your home or building, NYE provides IPM-based, low-exposure control matched to the exact pest and verified with a follow-up. ACE-led work comes with a client portal of service reports and photos, fully bilingual service, and no long-term contract.
What Do Ticks Look Like — FAQ
How small are ticks?
Unfed ticks range from about 1 mm (deer tick nymphs, poppy-seed-sized) to ~5 mm. Engorged ticks swell much larger and turn grayish.
Are ticks insects?
No — ticks are arachnids with eight legs, related to spiders and mites, not six-legged insects.
How do I remove a tick safely?
Use fine-tipped tweezers, grasp close to the skin, and pull straight up with steady pressure. Don’t twist, burn, or crush it. Clean the bite and monitor for symptoms.
Where do people pick up ticks in New York?
Outdoors in tall grass, leaf litter, wooded edges, and brushy areas — including parks and yards in the outer boroughs and suburbs. They don’t infest indoors the way bed bugs do.
