Where Ticks Hide—and How To Avoid Bringing Them Inside

North Central Texas, including Fort Worth, offers warm temperatures, mild winters, and plenty of green spaces: conditions that are ideal for ticks. With wooded creek lines, tall grasses, parks, trails, and suburban neighborhoods backing up to natural areas, tick encounters are common for residents, pets, and outdoor workers throughout much of the year.

Understanding where ticks live, how they spread disease, and how to keep them out of your home can help protect your family and reduce unwanted infestations.

Ticks Commonly Found in North Central Texas

Several tick species are active in the Fort Worth area:

  • Deer Tick: A very prevalent tick in Texas, this species identifiable by it’s reddish-brown body and black shield below its head. This tick can carry many diseases, including Lyme disease.
  • American Dog Tick: Often found in grassy fields and along trails. Known for spreading serious illnesses and commonly encountered by both people and pets.
  • Lone Star Tick: Easily identified by the white dot on adult females. Very aggressive and commonly found in wooded areas and tall grass. This tick is associated with multiple diseases and allergic reactions.
  • Brown Dog Tick: Unlike most ticks, this species can survive indoors and is often brought in on dogs. They can spread fever illnesses, and dog specific deseases.

Tick-Borne Illnesses and How They Spread

Ticks spread disease through their bites while feeding on blood. The longer a tick remains attached, the higher the risk of transmission. In North Central Texas, ticks are known to carry illnesses such as:

Symptoms may include fever, fatigue, headaches, muscle aches, or rashes. Some symptoms may not appear for days or weeks after a bite, making early prevention especially important.

Where You’re Most Likely to Pick Up a Tick

Ticks don’t jump or fly—they wait and latch on as you brush past. Common places you may encounter ticks include tall grass and overgrown fields, wooded wildlife areas and forest edges, parks, playgrounds, and greenbelts, and right in your yard.

How to Avoid Picking Up Ticks

You can significantly reduce your risk with a few smart precautions:

  • Avoid high-risk areas when possible, especially tall grass and dense brush
  • Wear light-colored clothing to make ticks easier to spot
  • Choose long pants and long sleeves with minimal layers so ticks have fewer hiding places
  • Wear baggy clothing to reduce skin contact
  • Tuck pants into socks or boots, and tape around boots and pant cuffs to block access points
  • Use tick repellents approved for skin or clothing
  • Stick to the center of trails when hiking or walking outdoors

What to Do If You Think You Picked Up a Tick

If you’ve spent time outdoors and think you may have been exposed:

  1. Remove your clothing immediately
  2. Place clothes directly into the dryer on high heat for at least 10 minutes (washing alone may not kill ticks)
  3. Take a shower as soon as possible to rinse off unattached ticks
  4. Remember: ticks take time to latch on, so quick action can prevent a bite altogether

Always Check Yourself—and Each Other

After outdoor activity, make tick checks part of your routine. Be sure to help children, pets, and loved ones check hard-to-see areas such as:

  • Behind kneesdeer tick bite
  • Under arms
  • Around the waist
  • Inside the belly button
  • Along the hairline and scalp
  • Behind ears

If You Find an Attached Tick:

If you find an attached tick, follow the CDC’s recommended removal guidelines or seek assistance from a medical professional. After removal, keep an eye on your health—especially for a bullseye-shaped rash, which can be a sign of Lyme disease. It’s also important to remember that not every tick bite leads to illness. Ticks don’t transmit disease through the bite itself; infection occurs when bacteria in the tick’s saliva enter the body. Prompt, proper removal greatly reduces the risk of disease.

 

When Ticks Become a Bigger Problem

If ticks are frequently found in your yard, on pets, or inside your home, wildlife activity or habitat conditions may be contributing to the issue. Professional wildlife control and exclusion services can help identify sources, reduce attractants, and prevent ongoing tick exposure around your property. Contact us to see how we can help you today.