Tick Control in St. Louis, MO

Tick Species & Disease Risk in the St. Louis Region

Four tick species are active in the St. Louis area: the lone star tick, the American dog tick, the blacklegged tick (also called the deer tick), and the Gulf Coast tick. A Missouri Department of Conservation statewide study found that lone star ticks made up 71% of submitted specimens, American dog ticks accounted for 26%, and blacklegged ticks made up 2%.

Tick-Borne Diseases in Missouri

Missouri’s documented tick-borne illnesses include Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, ehrlichiosis, tularemia, Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI), Heartland virus, and Bourbon virus. Ehrlichiosis is a commonly reported tick-borne illness in the state, with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever also representing a significant share of cases. Both are bacterial diseases that can become serious without prompt treatment. Lyme disease, associated with blacklegged ticks, is less prevalent in Missouri than in the Northeast but can still be carried by ticks present here.

When Ticks Are Most Active

Tick season generally runs from early spring through late fall, with peak activity from March through summer. Blacklegged ticks can remain active on warm winter days. Ticks don’t jump or fly. They wait on low vegetation and latch onto passing hosts, which means even a well-maintained suburban yard can see activity when nearby wildlife or green spaces bring them onto the property.

Where Ticks Hide in St. Louis Yards

Properties near wooded greenbelts, creek corridors, and shaded drainage areas see elevated tick pressure, driven by the region’s humid conditions and active wildlife movement. Common harborage points in residential yards include tall grass, shrubs, fence lines, brush piles, leaf litter, and shaded corners where pets and wildlife travel regularly.

Properties in western St. Louis County near Chesterfield, Fenton, and Creve Coeur are especially prone to tick pressure because of their proximity to wooded parks and the Meramec River corridor greenways.

Between professional treatments, a few yard maintenance habits reduce tick habitat: keeping grass cut short, removing leaf litter, clearing brush from fence lines, and trimming vegetation away from play areas and seating. These steps don’t replace treatment, but they reduce the conditions ticks need to thrive.