Getting Ticked Off…
Tick season 2026 has been bad from the start, and unfortunately, it’s not letting up. Spring ER visits for tick bites hit their highest April level since 2017, and that trend is not slowing down. In fact, as of early July, tick-related ER visits are at their highest rate in nearly a decade, with the Northeast seeing the heaviest hit (as expected). Still, ticks are pushing into regions they've never occupied before, surviving winters in bigger numbers, and staying active for longer parts of the year. TLDR: People are running into species they've never had to think about before, and a single bite can now deliver more than one illness at once.
Your best defense is boring (and luckily straightforward): prevention, prevention, prevention. Treating clothing with permethrin (it survives multiple washes) and layering on DEET or picaridin will set you up well. Light-colored clothing tucked into your socks isn’t the cutest look, but it makes ticks way easier to spot, considering nymphs are poppy-seed-sized and easy to miss. A lint roller in your bag can actually help remove the harder-to-spot ones off of your clothes.
Once you're back inside, do a full-body check of warm, damp spots (underarms, groin, ears, scalp, behind the knees), take a shower within two hours, and put your clothes for a spin in the dryer on high heat. If you do find one attached, don't panic and don’t wait for a doctor's appointment to remove it, as delaying increases Lyme disease risk. Grab a pair of fine-tipped tweezers, grip close to the skin, and pull straight up. Ignore weird hacks you see on social—especially if it includes fire. Once removed, save the tick so a doctor can identify its species if you do end up having symptoms and certain ticks carry certain pathogens. Keep an eye on the bite for ~30 days; fever, rash, muscle aches, and headaches are the usual red flags, though most people never get the classic bullseye.
And don't assume you're safe outside as long as you’re not in the “deep woods.” Ticks turn up in city parks, too.
