Tick and Lyme Disease

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria that are transmitted through the bite of infected ticks. It's important to take precautions to avoid being bitten by ticks, which can carry the disease. One way to ensure safety is by sending ticks for testing at a Tick Testing Laboratory to confirm whether they are infected or not. Such labs check for Lyme Disease, Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis.

Two people on a hike looking to see if they have ticks on themselves

Procedure for submitting a Tick for testing

The CAES Tick Submission form should be completely filled out and packaged along with your tick. The form can be filled out and printed here: CAES Tick Submission Form

Preparing the tick: 

  • Do not place the tick on tape.

  • Ticks should be placed in a crush-proof container, but if one is not available a sealed plastic bag will suffice.
  • Do not package the tick in glass or in other fragile containers.
  • Do not package the tick with any objects. This includes paper towels, cotton swabs, plant matter, bandages, or any other materials.
  • Do not place the tick in any solution. This includes substances like water and alcohol. All ticks should be submitted dry.

Preparing the Envelope:

  • The crush-proof container housing the tick should be tightly sealed and packaged in a padded envelope.
  • If a padded envelope is not available, a small sheet of bubble wrap can be added to a regular envelope to help protect the tick from being damaged.
  • Please request the mail carrier to handle the envelope containing tick manually and not through a machine. “Please hand sort” can be written on the envelope to help achieve this.

Where Should Tick Samples be Sent?

Ticks should be submitted through the Family Health and Wellness Clinic , please call ahead at 203-576-7468. Contact information for other local health departments can be found online at CT Department of Public Health. If you are unable to send the tick through the Communicable Disease Clinic, please send it directly to:

The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station
Tick Testing Laboratory
Jenkins-Waggoner Building
123 Huntington Street
New Haven CT, 06511

For more information on Ticks and Lyme disease, please visit the CDC page for ticks.