June is tick season in New Jersey, and in Sussex County and Morris County — where wooded lots, deer corridors, and tall grass borders are common — tick exposure is a genuine health concern for families and pets. The two species you’re most likely to encounter this month are the deer tick (black-legged tick) and the American dog tick, and understanding the difference between them matters for assessing your risk.
The Deer Tick (Black-Legged Tick)
The deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) is the primary vector for Lyme disease in the northeastern United States, as well as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus. Adults are reddish-brown with a black shield and about the size of a sesame seed. Nymphs — the juvenile stage responsible for most Lyme disease transmission — are the size of a poppy seed and active from late May through July. Because of their tiny size, nymphs are frequently missed during tick checks.
New Jersey has consistently ranked among the top states for Lyme disease cases. Sussex County in particular has historically high tick populations due to its rural and forested character. If your property has a wooded edge, a deer path nearby, or adjacent fields with tall grass, your family and pets are at meaningful exposure risk every time they go outside.
The American Dog Tick
The American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) is larger and more visible than the deer tick, with a distinctive white-speckled appearance. It is the primary vector for Rocky Mountain spotted fever and can cause tick paralysis in pets. Dog ticks are most active in June and July and are commonly found in grassy areas, along trails, and in transitional zones between lawn and brushy cover. They are attracted to both pets and people.
Where Ticks Live on Your Property
Ticks do not jump or fly — they wait on the tips of grasses and low vegetation in a behavior called questing, holding their front legs out to latch onto a passing host. On a residential property, the highest-risk zones are:
- Unmowed grass and weedy borders along fences, driveways, and property edges
- Leaf litter and brush piles, especially along wooded edges
- Areas where deer and other wildlife travel through the yard
- Dense shrub plantings close to the house
- Firewood stacks and stone walls that harbor small mammals (tick hosts)
Protecting Your Family and Pets
Personal protection measures reduce individual exposure, but they don’t address the tick population on your property:
- Wear light-colored clothing and tuck pants into socks when in high-risk areas
- Use EPA-registered repellents containing DEET, picaridin, or permethrin on clothing
- Perform full-body tick checks after outdoor activity, including behind knees, in the groin, along the hairline, and in the armpits
- Check pets thoroughly after outdoor time and use veterinarian-recommended tick prevention products
- Shower within two hours of coming indoors — this significantly reduces infection risk
Professional Yard Treatment
Tick barrier treatments applied to the perimeter of your property — targeting the leaf litter, brush edges, and transitional zones where ticks concentrate — significantly reduce tick populations in outdoor living areas throughout the season. Bustabug provides targeted tick treatments for Sussex County and Morris County properties timed to peak activity periods, giving your family and pets a meaningful reduction in exposure risk all summer long.
Dealing with a pest problem in Sussex or Morris County this June? Call Bustabug Pest Control at (973) 721-9197 for a free in-person consultation. We’ve got your six.