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Lone Star ticks in Kansas

Yes. Lone Star ticks live in Kansas, and it's an alpha-gal hotspot.

Lone Star ticks are common in eastern Kansas, and CDC found some of the highest rates of suspected alpha-gal cases in parts of the state.

Peak season
March – OctoberSource: Kansas Department of Health and Environment / K-State (opens in a new tab)
What to do
Use repellent and do tick checks. If you ever get hives or stomach pain hours after eating red meat, mention tick bites to a clinician.
Where ticks wait
  • Wooded areas and shaded trail edges
  • Tall grass, brush, and overgrown fields
  • Leaf litter and ground cover
  • Shaded borders where lawns meet woods
Who should take extra care

Hikers and campers, hunters, pet owners, gardeners and yard workers, golfers, and parents of young children.

If you find one on you

Take it out with fine-tipped tweezers, pulling straight up, and write down the date. The step-by-step guide tells you what to watch for, and for how long.

What to do after a biteIdentify the tick

How to avoid bites in Kansas

  • Use EPA-registered repellent (DEET, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus)
  • Treat clothing and gear with permethrin
  • Wear long sleeves and tuck pants into socks in brushy areas
  • Stay on cleared trails and avoid tall grass and leaf litter
  • Shower within two hours of coming indoors
  • Do daily tick checks on people and pets during the season
The full prevention guide

Find your county

Each of Kansas’s 105 counties has its own page with CDC’s record for it, a map of the counties around it, and season and prevention notes.

Browse all 105 counties
Allen CountyAnderson CountyAtchison CountyBarber CountyBarton CountyBourbon CountyBrown CountyButler CountyChase CountyChautauqua CountyCherokee CountyCheyenne CountyClark CountyClay CountyCloud CountyCoffey CountyComanche CountyCowley CountyCrawford CountyDecatur CountyDickinson CountyDoniphan CountyDouglas CountyEdwards CountyElk CountyEllis CountyEllsworth CountyFinney CountyFord CountyFranklin CountyGeary CountyGove CountyGraham CountyGrant CountyGray CountyGreeley CountyGreenwood CountyHamilton CountyHarper CountyHarvey CountyHaskell CountyHodgeman CountyJackson CountyJefferson CountyJewell CountyJohnson CountyKearny CountyKingman CountyKiowa CountyLabette CountyLane CountyLeavenworth CountyLincoln CountyLinn CountyLogan CountyLyon CountyMarion CountyMarshall CountyMcPherson CountyMeade CountyMiami CountyMitchell CountyMontgomery CountyMorris CountyMorton CountyNemaha CountyNeosho CountyNess CountyNorton CountyOsage CountyOsborne CountyOttawa CountyPawnee CountyPhillips CountyPottawatomie CountyPratt CountyRawlins CountyReno CountyRepublic CountyRice CountyRiley CountyRooks CountyRush CountyRussell CountySaline CountyScott CountySedgwick CountySeward CountyShawnee CountySheridan CountySherman CountySmith CountyStafford CountyStanton CountyStevens CountySumner CountyThomas CountyTrego CountyWabaunsee CountyWallace CountyWashington CountyWichita CountyWilson CountyWoodson CountyWyandotte County

Loading counties…

Fig. 1. Kansas’s 105 counties, by CDC’s 2025 record. Click one to open its page.
  • Established32
  • Reported13
  • No records60

Common questions

Are there Lone Star ticks in Kansas?

Yes. Kansas is in the Lone Star tick's range, and CDC found some of the highest rates of suspected alpha-gal cases here. CDC lists Lone Star ticks as established in 32 Kansas counties. K-State says they are common in the eastern half of the state and have been found as far west as Mitchell County.

When is tick season in Kansas?

Lone Star ticks in Kansas are most active from March to October. They can still bite outside those months on warm days.

Can I get alpha-gal syndrome from a tick bite in Kansas?

It's possible. Alpha-gal syndrome is a delayed allergy to red meat linked to Lone Star tick bites, and those ticks live in Kansas. Most bites do not cause it. If you get hives, swelling or stomach pain 2 to 6 hours after eating red meat, see a doctor.

What should I do after a tick bite in Kansas?

Take the tick out with fine-tipped tweezers, pulling straight up. Wash the bite, keep the tick or a photo of it, and write down the date. Watch for symptoms for the next few weeks. See a doctor if you get a rash, a fever, feel very tired, or react to food.

How do I get a tick identified in Kansas?

Seal the tick in a bag with a damp paper towel and take a clear photo. Your state health department or a university extension program may be able to name it or test it.

Where this comes from10 sources · Last reviewed June 2, 2026Show
  1. 1.
    Where Ticks Live (opens in a new tab) · CDC

    The Lone Star tick is widely distributed in the Northeast, South, and Midwest U.S.

  2. 2.
    Lone Star Tick Surveillance (opens in a new tab) · CDC

    County-level established vs. reported records. 'Established' = 6+ ticks or multiple life stages collected in 12 months.

  3. 3.
    Alpha-gal Syndrome (opens in a new tab) · CDC

    What alpha-gal syndrome is, symptoms, and its association with tick bites.

  4. 4.
    Geographic Distribution of Suspected Alpha-gal Syndrome Cases — U.S., 2017–2022 (MMWR) (opens in a new tab) · CDC / MMWR

    Highest suspected-AGS prevalence across a contiguous southern, midwestern, and mid-Atlantic region; most cases align with the established Lone Star tick range.

  5. 5.
    Current and Future Distribution of the Lone Star Tick in North America (opens in a new tab) · Raghavan et al., PLOS ONE (2019)

    Ecological niche modeling of Amblyomma americanum range and projected northward expansion.

  6. 6.
    Preventing Tick Bites (opens in a new tab) · CDC
  7. 7.
    Find the Repellent That Is Right for You (opens in a new tab) · EPA

    Search tool for EPA-registered repellents (DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus).

  8. 8.
    Lone Star Tick Surveillance Map Data, 2025 (county status) (opens in a new tab) · CDC

    Every county's status: Established (6 or more ticks, or more than one life stage, found in a year), Reported (fewer), or No records. Linked from CDC's Lone Star Tick Surveillance page.

  9. 9.
    Kansas Tick Guide (opens in a new tab) · Kansas Department of Health and Environment / K-State

    Lone star tick: active late February through fall.

  10. 10.
    Ticks in Kansas (MF2653) (opens in a new tab) · K-State Research and Extension

    The lone star tick has become common in the eastern half of Kansas.

Educational information only, not medical advice. If someone is struggling to breathe or having a severe reaction, call 911. Read the disclaimer.

Printed from lonestarmap.com/states/kansas. Check the page for the latest version.