If you are wondering, “are there any ticks in Alaska,” the answer is yes. Alaska has a native squirrel and hare tick, and non-native ticks can arrive on dogs, cats, people, livestock, wildlife, or gear traveling from outside the state.
Your chance of encountering a disease-carrying tick in Alaska is generally lower than in many parts of the Lower 48. You should still check yourself and your pets after outdoor trips or travel.
The Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation tracks submitted specimens through its Alaska Submit-A-Tick program. This program helps identify species and monitor possible pathogens.
Ticks found in Alaska do not all pose the same concern. Some are native wildlife parasites, while others are introduced species that may survive in the state and could carry tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease.
Your location, travel history, outdoor activities, and pet exposure all affect your practical risk.
The Short Answer
Alaska is not tick-free. Native ticks live on wildlife, and non-native ticks have shown up on pets and people in communities including Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, and Sitka.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game describes introductions as the primary concern. Some imported species can transmit disease.
Why Local Disease Risk Is Usually Low
Alaska has fewer established human-biting tick populations than many regions of the Lower 48. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, notes that Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases are most strongly associated with specific areas where competent tick vectors and pathogens circulate regularly.
An imported tick may have fed elsewhere before reaching Alaska. A bite can cause irritation or, less commonly, transmit an infection.
Seek medical advice if you develop a spreading rash, fever, unusual fatigue, headache, or muscle aches after a bite.
What “Reported” Versus “Established” Means
A tick reported in Alaska may have arrived on a traveling dog, person, shipment, or wild animal. Finding one specimen shows that the tick reached the state, not that it has formed a self-sustaining local population.
When a species establishes itself, it can repeatedly reproduce and persist in the environment. Alaska surveillance helps distinguish isolated introductions from populations that may be adapting to local conditions.
When Tick Activity Is Most Likely
You are more likely to encounter active ticks during milder parts of the year, especially spring through summer. Ticks can still be present outside the traditional peak if temperatures remain suitable.
Check after hiking, camping, hunting, brush clearing, or handling wildlife. Your pets may pick up ticks in vegetation or during travel even when you do not notice any on your own clothing.
Ticks You May Encounter In Alaska
The species you encounter matters more than the word “tick” alone. Alaska has native wildlife-associated ticks, occasional imported dog ticks, and species that are not known to be established in the state.
Native Squirrel And Hare Ticks
The squirrel tick, Ixodes angustus, is native to Alaska and is commonly associated with squirrels, hares, and other wildlife. It may occasionally attach to a dog, cat, or person, especially near habitats used by its normal hosts.
Its presence does not mean Alaska has a widespread population of the deer tick, also called the blacklegged tick, Ixodes scapularis. Those are different species with different geographic patterns.
Ticks Introduced On Dogs And Other Animals
Non-native ticks have arrived in Alaska on dogs and other animals. Examples include the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, the brown dog tick, Rhipicephalus sanguineus, and the Rocky Mountain wood tick, Dermacentor andersoni.
Traveling dogs are a particularly important pathway. Livestock and wildlife can also transport ticks, so inspecting animals before and after movement helps reduce the chance of introducing a new species.
Species Not Known To Be Established
The lone star tick and common deer tick have not established themselves throughout Alaska. The same caution applies to the winter tick, also called the moose tick, Dermacentor albipictus.
Research by Alaska wildlife officials found that winter ticks can survive and reproduce in areas such as Fairbanks and Palmer. Prevention and surveillance are important.
A single find does not mean a species is established. Save the specimen and submit it for identification rather than relying on a photograph or guess.
Health Concerns For People, Pets, And Wildlife
Your health risk depends on the tick species, where it fed previously, how long it was attached, and whether it carried a pathogen. Dogs and wildlife can face different risks from people, so a tick discovery deserves attention even when local disease transmission is uncommon.
Lyme Disease And Travel-Associated Exposure
Lyme disease is not considered a routinely established local transmission risk across Alaska. You can still arrive with an attached infected tick after visiting an area where Lyme disease is common, including parts of the Northeast, Midwest, or Pacific Coast.
Tell your clinician about recent travel, the bite location, and when symptoms began. The Alaska Department of Health’s tick-borne disease guidance recommends seeking medical advice for symptoms after a bite or time in a tick area.
Other Illnesses Ticks Can Carry Elsewhere
Depending on species and geography, ticks may carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever, tularemia, babesiosis, or anaplasmosis. Some can also cause tick paralysis, a toxin-related condition that may affect dogs and people.
A tick bite does not automatically mean infection. Remove the tick promptly, watch for symptoms, and contact a veterinarian if your dog develops weakness, stumbling, breathing changes, fever, loss of appetite, or unusual behavior.
Why Moose Winter Ticks Are A Wildlife Concern
Winter ticks can affect moose far more severely than the occasional tick bite affects a person. Heavy infestations may cause intense irritation, hair loss, blood loss, heat loss, and reduced feeding, with calves especially vulnerable during harsh winters.
If you see a moose with extensive hair loss or repeated scratching, report the observation to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Do not handle the animal or attempt to remove ticks yourself.
Preventing And Reporting Tick Finds
Simple tick prevention reduces your exposure during Alaska outings and helps limit the movement of non-native species. Inspect your clothing, body, luggage, and dogs after outdoor activity or travel, particularly when returning from the Lower 48.
Tick Checks And Safe Removal
Check your ankles, waist, scalp, behind your knees, underarms, and around your ears. Examine pets around the face, neck, toes, and collar area, then wash clothing and shower when practical.
Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick close to your skin and pull upward with steady pressure. Clean the bite and your hands with soap and water or rubbing alcohol.
Avoid petroleum jelly, heat, or twisting methods that may irritate the skin.
Protecting Dogs Before Alaska Travel
Ask your veterinarian which flea and tick preventive is appropriate before traveling with your dog. Apply the product according to its label and timing, then inspect your dog during the trip and after returning to Alaska.
Prevention helps stop an imported tick from reproducing locally. The CDC also recommends checking pets and luggage after travel through areas where ticks are common.
Submitting A Tick For Identification
Place the tick in a tightly sealed container. You can keep it alive, freeze it, or preserve it in alcohol.
Follow the Alaska Submit-A-Tick instructions to identify and report the tick. Include where and when you found it.
State whether the tick was attached, the host species, and any recent travel history. You can contact an Alaska Department of Fish and Game biologist in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Juneau, Sitka, or your local area for guidance.
