After a tick bite, you can send the tick to a commercial mail-in laboratory, a university or public health program, or certain veterinary diagnostic laboratories.
Some services identify the tick species and test for selected pathogens, while others provide identification only.
Tick testing estimates what the tick carried, but it cannot diagnose a tick-borne illness or replace medical evaluation. Save the tick if you can.
Seek advice promptly if you develop symptoms, and follow your healthcare provider’s recommendations rather than waiting for laboratory results.
Places That Accept Ticks for Testing
You can choose private laboratories that accept mail-in specimens, public programs that may offer surveillance or identification, and local resources that help determine the tick species.
Before shipping, check each provider’s tick submission guidelines, accepted specimen types, panel availability, fees, and geographic eligibility.
Commercial Mail-In Tick Testing Laboratories
Commercial laboratories provide a direct answer when you need tick submission and pathogen testing.
Providers such as Ticknology, IGeneX, and TickCheck accept mailed ticks under their own instructions.
A provider may offer tick identification, a limited Lyme-related test, or a broader panel sometimes marketed as a universal tick test.
Read the laboratory’s current list carefully, since a test for a pathogen in the tick does not show that transmission occurred.
University and Public Health Tick Programs
State health departments, university entomology departments, and local vector-control programs may identify ticks or accept specimens for surveillance.
Some programs test only ticks collected from defined regions, and many offer identification without individual medical-risk testing.
Your county or state health department can tell you whether a local program accepts specimens and which tick species are common in your area.
Public programs may also explain whether results are intended for research, disease surveillance, or personal notification.
Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories and Local Extension Resources
Some veterinary diagnostic laboratories accept ticks, particularly when the specimen comes from a pet or livestock.
Call before sending anything because veterinary facilities may require a veterinarian’s submission form and may not provide human health guidance.
County extension offices can often help with tick identification or direct you to an appropriate laboratory.
If you cannot find a local option, a mail-in provider may be simpler, provided you follow its packaging and payment requirements.
Choosing the Right Test and Provider
Compare the pathogen panel, laboratory credentials, turnaround time, price, and shipping rules before you submit a tick.
A useful provider clearly states what it detects, what a result means, and whether its service is for surveillance rather than diagnosing human tick-borne infections.
Pathogen Panels and PCR Testing
Many commercial services use PCR testing to look for genetic material from selected tick-borne pathogens.
Possible targets include Borrelia burgdorferi, other Borrelia linked to borreliosis or relapsing fever, Borrelia mayonii, and Borrelia miyamotoi.
Panels may also include Babesia microti for babesiosis, organisms associated with anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis such as Ehrlichia chaffeensis or Ehrlichia muris, and selected agents linked to bartonellosis, rickettsiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, spotted fever rickettsiosis, Rickettsia rickettsii, tularemia, or relapsing fever.
Availability differs by provider and tick species.
A panel cannot detect pathogens it does not include.
A negative result may reflect an inadequate specimen or test limitation.
Ask whether the laboratory reports the tick species separately from the PCR findings.
Turnaround Time, Cost, and Geographic Eligibility
The laboratory starts turnaround times when it receives and checks in your specimen, not when you mail it.
For example, TickCheck advertises results within 2 to 5 business days after check-in, while other laboratories may require longer processing.
Prices depend on identification, the number of pathogens, and optional upgrades.
Confirm whether the provider accepts specimens from your state, whether shipping is included, and whether you must pay before mailing the tick.
Testing for Lyme Disease and Co-Infections
A tick test can identify Borrelia in the tick, but it cannot establish that you have Lyme disease or a co-infection.
For human diagnosis, the CDC recommends FDA-cleared antibody testing in a two-step process, interpreted with symptoms and exposure history, as described in its Lyme disease testing guidance.
Your clinician may consider blood testing for Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, or other tick-borne infections when symptoms and timing fit.
Do not take antibiotics solely because a submitted tick tests positive.
Saving, Packing, and Sending the Tick
Preserve the tick as soon as possible and use the receiving laboratory’s exact tick submission guidelines.
Correct labeling and secure packaging help prevent specimen loss and make tick identification more reliable.
Remove and Store the Tick Safely
If the tick is still attached, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp it close to your skin and pull upward with steady pressure.
Clean the bite area and your hands afterward.
Do not crush, burn, or cover the tick with petroleum jelly or chemicals.
Place the intact tick in a labeled, leak-resistant container according to the laboratory’s instructions.
Many services accept a small vial with rubbing alcohol, while others require a dry specimen or a sealed bag.
When instructions differ, follow the receiving provider’s rules, as described in Ticknology’s tick-preservation guidance.
Complete the Submission Form and Ship Promptly
Record when and where you found the tick, whether it was attached, how long it may have been attached, and the person or pet affected.
Include your contact details and any required payment or order number.
Seal the container inside the required secondary packaging, place it in a sturdy mailer, and ship it according to the laboratory’s instructions.
Avoid unnecessary delays, extreme heat, and unapproved packaging.
Keep a photo of the tick and your tracking information if available.
Using Results Without Delaying Medical Care
Treat a tick report as exposure information, not a diagnosis.
Several tick-borne diseases, including Lyme disease, Powassan, Heartland virus disease, Colorado tick fever, and STARI, require clinical assessment because symptoms, timing, geography, and the tick species all matter.
What a Positive or Negative Tick Result Means
A positive result means the laboratory detected a target organism or genetic marker in that tick.
It does not prove the tick transmitted it, and a negative result does not prove you were not exposed through another tick or that testing was perfectly sensitive.
Do not wait for the report before contacting a clinician when you have concerning symptoms.
Public health guidance also cautions that tick testing should not determine whether you receive treatment, as noted in California’s tick-testing questions and answers.
Symptoms That Merit Prompt Clinical Advice
Contact a healthcare professional promptly for an expanding rash, fever, chills, severe headache, unusual fatigue, muscle or joint aches, swollen glands, facial weakness, palpitations, confusion, breathing difficulty, or unusual bruising.
Seek urgent care for severe illness, trouble breathing, fainting, neurological changes, or rapidly worsening symptoms.
Tell your clinician when and where the bite occurred, whether the tick was attached, and whether you saved it.
A photograph can help if the tick is lost or damaged.
Pathogens That May Need Separate Testing
Some infections do not appear in commercial tick panels or cannot be assessed reliably through a tick specimen.
Powassan virus, Heartland virus, Colorado tick fever, and STARI may need a different clinical or public health approach.
Your clinician may order blood tests, blood smears, molecular tests, or other evaluations for suspected tick-borne infections.
Symptoms can overlap among illnesses. Treatment decisions should rely on your health history and examination, not the tick report alone.
