FOUND A TICK … now what? Four actions you can take right now!

animation of a tick being grasped at the head by pointy tweezers

Remove a tick safely

Learn how to properly remove a tick.

learn how
person holding a camera

Take a photo

Click our photo tips below to learn how to take your best tick photo ever!

Photo tips

Submit your tick!

Our TickSpotters program provides users with accurate, timely tick identification information, as well as science-based risk assessments tailored to their tick.

Connect with our tick experts
pointy tweezers putting a tick into a vial

Tick testing

Not every tick is carrying germs, and some types of ticks are riskier than others. Once you know what kind it is and how long it likely has been feeding, you may want to have it tested.

You may want to test your tick

GOING OUTSIDE AGAIN … Be ready for ticks!

VIDEOS — Tick Prevention and Protection


Check out these videos made in collaboration with our partner, Insect Shield, to maximize the reach and impact of some of the most effective tick bite protection strategies.

Start protecting Now-see how

Know what to look for

Find out which ticks are active in each region at different times of year.

interactive tool

About Be Ready For Ticks!

Be Ready For Ticks is a Just-in-time education approach to tick-bite and tickborne disease prevention. Learning what you can do in the moment–when it’s relevant and can be applied–is especially critical when details matter, as in the case of preventing tick bites or practicing best next actions after a tick-bite is discovered. TickEncounter is proud to partner with NEWVEC, the CDC’s New England Center for Excellence in Vector-borne Disease along with founding partners Bartlett Tree Experts, Insect Shield, and Mainely Ticks, in providing easy, anytime access to simple, practical ways for taking action to prevent and manage tick bites. We welcome others with the same goal to join this exciting QR-driven campaign.

NEWVEC is dedicated to operational research, training the next generation of public-health entomologists, and cultivating a rich Community of Practice to address stakeholder needs.

Learn more