A tick check takes 5 minutes. Missing one takes 36–48 hours to transmit Lyme disease. This guide covers full-body checks for adults, kids, and pets — plus CDC-recommended removal, NH-specific doctor and testing resources, and tick identification for Seacoast NH.
Ticks don't stay where they land. They crawl upward, looking for warm, moist, concealed areas — usually taking 30–60 minutes to find a spot to attach. A thorough check covers all of these zones within an hour of coming inside.
Check in a well-lit area. A full-length mirror helps for the back. For children, do the check yourself — don't rely on them to self-report. Light-colored clothing makes ticks easier to spot before they reach skin.
Run fingers through hair in sections, pressing gently against the scalp. Ticks in hair are easy to miss — they're small and hidden by hair. Part hair systematically; use a comb for thorough coverage on long hair.
The warm fold behind each ear and just inside the ear canal. These are among the most commonly missed spots. Use a mirror or have a partner check. Feel for any small bump.
Warm, dark, and concealed — prime tick attachment territory. Check the entire armpit area including the shoulder crease. Raise each arm fully to expose the fold.
The groin is a top tick attachment zone. Check thoroughly, including the crease where the leg meets the torso and the inner thigh from the knee up. Ticks that reach this area are less likely to be noticed without an intentional check.
Ticks crawl upward from the ground and often pause at the waistband. Check along the entire waistband, both inside and outside clothing. Remove clothing and check the skin directly.
The back of each knee is a warm skin fold that ticks frequently target. Check both legs. Also check the inner knee and the leg crease above and below.
The back of the neck and the hairline at the nape are common tick attachment sites, especially for ticks that travel from the collar. Check the entire neck perimeter.
Ticks can attach between toes, especially if you've been in tall grass or leaf litter. Check every toe gap. A tick between toes is unlikely to be noticed without looking.
Hard to self-check — use a hand mirror or ask a partner. Ticks can attach anywhere on the back. Children should always have their backs checked by an adult after outdoor play.
Shower within 2 hours of coming in from outside. A shower helps you do a thorough tick check and may wash off unattached ticks before they find a spot. The CDC lists showering as one of the most effective personal tick prevention measures.
Finding an attached tick doesn't mean Lyme transmission has already happened — it takes 36–48 hours. Remove it correctly and quickly.
Use fine-pointed tweezers — not blunt ones, not your fingers. Regular household tweezers can crush the tick or cause it to regurgitate, which increases transmission risk. Fine-tipped tweezers give you the control you need.
Position the tweezers right at the skin surface, not around the body of the tick. You want to grab the mouthparts (the part embedded in skin), not the abdomen. A firm grip at the base prevents the tick from pulling apart during removal.
Pull straight up — do not twist, jerk, or rotate. A slow, steady upward pull is the correct technique. Twisting or jerking can cause the mouthparts to break off in the skin. If mouthparts remain, remove them with the tweezers if possible; if not, leave them to be absorbed and clean the area.
Disinfect the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water. Do not leave it untreated — the bite site is a wound and should be cleaned like any puncture.
Place the tick in a sealed plastic bag or jar with a moist cotton ball. Write the date on the bag. In New Hampshire, you can submit ticks for testing through UNH Cooperative Extension or TickReport (UMass lab). Keep it in the refrigerator if you're not submitting it within 24 hours.
Watch for a bullseye rash (expanding red circle) at the bite site — present in 70–80% of Lyme cases. Also watch for flu-like symptoms: fever, chills, fatigue, headache, muscle aches. If either develops, see a doctor immediately and mention the tick bite.
Do not apply petroleum jelly, nail polish remover, or heat to "make the tick back out." These methods are ineffective and may cause the tick to release infected fluids into the bite. Do not crush or squeeze the tick's body. Do not use your fingers to remove the tick. These common folk remedies increase disease transmission risk.
Not every tick bite requires a doctor visit — but specific circumstances do. Know the thresholds for Seacoast NH, where blacklegged tick Lyme prevalence is among the highest in the state.
The CDC-recommended threshold for prophylactic antibiotic treatment (a single dose of doxycycline that can prevent Lyme) is: tick was a blacklegged deer tick, was attached for 36+ hours, and you can get to a doctor within 72 hours of removing it. All three conditions apply to Seacoast NH residents regularly. If you're unsure of attachment time, err toward seeing a doctor.
Mention: the date you likely got the tick bite, how long you think the tick was attached, what the tick looked like (or bring it in a bag), what activities you were doing, and where you were (yard, wooded trail, etc.). This information directly affects whether your doctor recommends prophylactic treatment or watchful waiting.
Dogs are the household members most frequently exposed to tick habitat — and they bring ticks inside. Cats that roam outdoors are similarly at risk. Check pets every time they come in from outside during tick season.
Run your fingers slowly through the coat, pressing gently — you're feeling for small bumps, not just looking. Focus on: inside and around the ears (especially the ear canal opening), between every toe, around the tail and base of the tail, the groin and belly, around the collar, and under the front legs. Short-haired dogs are easier to check visually; long-coated breeds require a hands-on search.
Cats groom themselves extensively, so ticks are less likely to embed — but outdoor cats do get them. Check the head, neck, and ear base (cats can't groom there effectively), under the collar, armpits, and around the base of the tail. A cat that suddenly develops a lump or seems bothered by a specific area may have an embedded tick.
Dogs are far more susceptible to Lyme than cats, and canine Lyme has a severe complication called Lyme nephritis — kidney failure that is often fatal. Signs of Lyme in dogs: sudden lameness (shifting between legs), joint swelling, fever, loss of appetite, lethargy. If your dog has any of these after a tick bite, see a vet — don't wait.
Year-round topical or oral tick prevention is essential for dogs in Seacoast NH. Options include Bravecto, NexGard, Simparica, K9 Advantix II, and others — consult your vet for the right product. The Lyme vaccine is also available for dogs in high-risk areas. Yard treatment significantly reduces tick burden on pets by eliminating ticks in the habitat they roam daily.
Saving the tick is the right call. Tick testing doesn't replace medical evaluation, but it gives you useful information — especially if you're uncertain whether to seek treatment.
After removal, drop the tick into a sealed plastic bag or small screw-top container. Add a moist (not wet) cotton ball to keep it from desiccating. Write the collection date on the bag. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week. For longer storage or mailing, a dry container is fine.
Important caveat: Tick testing does not replace medical evaluation. A negative tick test doesn't mean you weren't exposed — Lyme and other diseases can be present without showing on a test, especially if the tick was fresh. If you develop symptoms, see a doctor regardless of tick test results.
| Lab / Service | Cost | Turnaround | What they test for |
|---|---|---|---|
| TickReport (UMass Lab of Medical Zoology) | $50–$200 depending on panel | 3–5 business days | Lyme, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, more |
| UNH Cooperative Extension | Free (tick identification only) | 1–2 weeks | Species ID + approximate disease risk assessment |
| NH DHHS Tick Surveillance | Free | Varies (surveillance, not personal results) | Species ID for NH tick-borne disease surveillance |
| Local urgent care / primary care | Varies (insurance) | Same day | Clinical assessment + prophylactic treatment decision |
Two species dominate in Seacoast NH. Knowing which is which tells you immediately how urgently you need to act.
The Lyme disease tick. Size: Adults are sesame-seed sized (3mm), nymphs are poppy-seed sized (1–2mm). Color: Dark reddish-brown body with a black scutum (shield shape near the head). Nymphs are nearly translucent light brown. Legs: All eight legs are dark brown to black. Seasonality: Adults most active April–May and October–November; nymphs peak May–June. This is the tick responsible for the overwhelming majority of Lyme, Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis cases in NH.
Common in NH but does NOT carry Lyme disease. Size: Much larger — adults are watermelon-seed sized (5–6mm); engorged females can reach 15mm. Color: Reddish-brown with distinctive white or silvery markings on the back (scutum). Legs: Banded pattern, lighter than deer tick legs. Risk: Can transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever (rare in NH) and tularemia. If you're seeing large brown ticks with white markings — that's the dog tick. Remove it normally, but the urgency for immediate medical attention is lower than with deer ticks.
Nymph deer ticks are so small that identification is unreliable without magnification. If you find a small, dark tick — especially in May or June — treat it as a deer tick and follow the full check-and-consult protocol. The cost of caution (a doctor visit) is lower than the cost of untreated Lyme.
The questions we hear most often from Seacoast NH homeowners and families.
Use fine-tipped tweezers. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Pull upward with steady, even pressure — do not twist or jerk. Twisting can cause the mouthparts to break off in the skin. After removal, clean the bite area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Do not use petroleum jelly, nail polish, or heat — these methods are ineffective and can increase disease transmission risk.
See a doctor if: you develop a bullseye rash at the bite site within 3–30 days; you develop fever, chills, or fatigue within 30 days; the tick was attached for more than 24 hours; or you can't fully remove the tick. In Seacoast NH, the high density of infected blacklegged ticks makes it worth erring toward a doctor visit when in doubt. NH options include Dartmouth-Hitchcock Urgent Care, Seacoast Urgent Care (Portsmouth and Dover), and your primary care provider.
Run your fingers slowly through your dog's coat, feeling for small bumps. Focus on: inside and around the ears, between every toe, around the tail base, under the collar, in the groin area, and under the front legs. Check every time your dog comes in from outside during tick season (March–November in NH). Dogs in Seacoast NH are at serious risk for canine Lyme disease — year-round tick prevention from your vet is essential.
Deer ticks (blacklegged ticks) are very small — adults are roughly sesame-seed sized (3mm) and nymphs are poppy-seed sized (1–2mm). Adults are dark reddish-brown with a black scutum (shield shape) near the head. Nymphs are nearly translucent light brown when unfed. They're much smaller than the American dog tick (larger, brown, with white markings). Most Lyme transmission in NH comes from nymph bites in May and June — nymphs can be nearly invisible.
Yes. TickReport (UMass Laboratory of Medical Zoology) is the most comprehensive option — mail-in service with 48-hour results testing for Lyme, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, and more (~$50–$200 depending on panel). UNH Cooperative Extension offers free tick identification. Save the tick in a sealed bag with a moist cotton ball and submit promptly. Tick testing is useful context, but does not replace medical evaluation — if you have symptoms, see a doctor regardless of test results.
Blacklegged ticks need to be attached for 36–48 hours before Lyme bacteria are transmitted from the tick's gut into the bloodstream. This is why prompt daily tick checks matter — finding and removing a tick within 24 hours dramatically reduces Lyme transmission risk. Anaplasmosis can transmit faster (some studies suggest under 24 hours), which is why the 36–48 hour figure applies specifically to Lyme.
Finding a tick on your child after outdoor play is a stressful, recurring experience for Seacoast NH families. Professional yard treatment targeting the actual tick habitat zones on your property — wooded edges, stone walls, leaf litter — reduces tick populations 68–88%. A free yard inspection shows you exactly where your exposure points are and what it costs to eliminate them.
We'll walk your property, identify tick hotspots, and give you a clear quote for professional protection. Serving Dover, Portsmouth, Rochester & Somersworth NH.
A free yard inspection takes 20 minutes. You'll know exactly where your tick risk is and what it costs to eliminate it — no obligation, no pressure. Serving Dover, Portsmouth, Rochester, and Somersworth NH.