FleaDates › Tick season › Hawaii

Pacific · HI

When are ticks active in Hawaii?

Hawaii ticks don't take a real winter break: average temperatures stay above the ~40°F questing threshold in every month, with pressure heaviest all year.

Tick season year-round Heaviest all year
January — Peak February — Peak March — Peak April — Peak May — Peak June — Peak July — Peak August — Peak September — Peak October — Peak November — Peak December — Peak J F M A M J J A S O N D HI ticks Heaviest all year

Ticks to know in Hawaii

Species brown dog tickSpecies American dog tick

The brown dog tick is the tick that genuinely matters in Hawaii, and it is unusual in being able to complete its whole life cycle indoors — behind baseboards, in crate seams, along lanai furniture — so trouble tends to build inside houses and kennels rather than out in a pasture. Anything else you might find, the American dog tick included, generally arrives on a dog that has traveled in from the mainland. With warmth and humidity steady all year, a tick check after yard and beach time belongs in the weekly routine rather than a summer one.

Wherever the calendar sits this month, the habit that actually catches ticks is the after-walk check: ears, collar line, armpits, between the toes. Prevention plus checks beats either alone.

Month-by-month tick activity in Hawaii
MonthTypical activityAverage temperature
January Peak 72.5°F
February Peak 72.5°F
March Peak 73.3°F
April Peak 74.6°F
May Peak 76.1°F
June Peak 77.8°F
July Peak 78.9°F
August Peak 79.4°F
September Peak 79.1°F
October Peak 78.1°F
November Peak 76°F
December Peak 73.9°F

Estimates from NOAA U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020), averaged across 2 weather stations near Hawaii's larger cities, using the ~40°F activity threshold reported in published tick research. Real years run early or late with the weather.

Fleas peak later. Hawaii flea season typically runs year-round — see the Hawaii flea season page.

Frequently asked questions

When does tick season start in Hawaii?

It never fully stops. Hawaii's average temperatures sit above the ~40°F questing threshold all year, so tick checks and prevention are a twelve-month routine, with extra vigilance all year.

What ticks live in Hawaii?

The species dog owners most often meet in Hawaii: brown dog tick, American dog tick. The brown dog tick is the tick that genuinely matters in Hawaii, and it is unusual in being able to complete its whole life cycle indoors — behind baseboards, in crate seams, along lanai furniture — so trouble tends to build inside houses and kennels rather than out in a pasture. Anything else you might find, the American dog tick included, generally arrives on a dog that has traveled in from the mainland. With warmth and humidity steady all year, a tick check after yard and beach time belongs in the weekly routine rather than a summer one.

Do I need tick prevention in winter in Hawaii?

Yes. Ticks overwinter under leaf litter and snow rather than dying off, and mild spells wake them — which is why veterinary organizations recommend year-round parasite prevention. The calendar shows when pressure peaks, not when protection can lapse.

What about fleas in Hawaii?

Fleas run on a warmer calendar — in Hawaii that's year-round. See the Hawaii flea season page for that month-by-month picture.