Tick, flea, or something else?

Identification should support action

Ticks are arachnids; nymphs and adults have eight legs, while larvae have six. Fleas are insects with six legs and can jump. Ticks crawl rather than jump or fly. Size, colour, and a quick photograph alone may not establish the species. A fed tick can look very different from an unfed one. Use an identification service rather than guessing the disease risk.

Get a useful photograph

Keep the specimen contained. Use good lighting, focus closely, and include a size reference without touching it with bare fingers. Save the original full-resolution photo. Record where the tick was found and whether it was attached to a person, pet, clothing, or an object. Do not leave an attached tick in place while trying to make the perfect photograph.

eTick accepts tick photographs for professional identification in Canada. Its public map shows reports, not a complete count of ticks and not a disease-risk map. No report near your home does not establish that there are no ticks there.

Look at the pet and environment together

Scratching alone does not identify fleas. Inspect the coat with a flea comb and ask your veterinary clinic to evaluate suspicious findings, skin changes, or persistent itching. There are other causes of itch, and repeatedly changing pesticides without identifying the problem may delay appropriate care.

Choose the next step by what you found

• Attached tick: remove promptly and document the bite.
• Crawling tick on clothes or gear: contain it and complete a body check.
• Suspected fleas on a pet: arrange species-appropriate advice and inspect resting areas.
• Bites without an identified pest: avoid diagnosing the cause from the pattern alone.
• An ill person or animal: prioritize clinical advice over online identification.