Summer has finally arrived, and with the warmth comes a seasonal threat — ticks. You may have already found one crawling up your pant leg or have pulled one off of your dog.
Maybe you’ve even noticed more of them this year than you usually do, and you’d be correct — CDC data show tick bites are up this year compared to recent years.1 In May, emergency departments recorded 134 visits for tick bites per 100,000 visits, compared to 112 last year. This trend has continued into June, with 130 visits per 100,000 versus 89 the previous year. Ticks are responsible for approximately 95% of all vector-borne disease cases (like Lyme disease) in the United States, so an increase in tick bites is not something to completely ignore.
If you’ve found yourself searching the internet for “tick removal,” “how to kill a tick,” and “can dogs get Lyme disease,” you can understand that most of us could benefit from a more systematic approach to tick prevention and management. (And yes, dogs can get Lyme disease.) Despite their impact on human — and pet —health, many people remain underprepared for the risks these small creatures pose. The good news? With the right knowledge and strategies, tick-borne illnesses are largely preventable.
Understanding the landscape of tick-borne diseases
While Lyme disease gets most of the attention — and for good reason, given its status as the most common tick-transmitted illness, as well as an illness with potential long-term consequences — the reality is that ticks carry a diverse portfolio of pathogens. Anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis cause flu-like symptoms, babesiosis affects red blood cells, Rocky Mountain spotted fever can be life-threatening, and the fascinating alpha-gal syndrome can trigger a persistent allergy to red meat.
While ticks remain active so long as the temperature is above freezing, the risk of tick-borne illnesses is highest in the warmer months — from April through September, peaking in June and July.
Risk also depends on geographical location. Tick species vary by location, and different species can carry different types of disease-causing bacteria. Even within a specific species, the proportion of ticks that do versus don’t carry disease-causing bacteria can vary based on geography. For example, the percentage of black-legged ticks carrying Lyme disease bacteria can range from 1% to 50% depending on your specific location. In the United States, the northeastern region sees the heaviest burden, followed by the Midwest. Tools like the University of Rhode Island TickEncounter interactive map and the CDC map of Tickborne Disease Surveillance can inform you of the particular risks in your area.2,3
A multi-layered prevention strategy
The best way to prevent tick-borne illness is to prevent getting bitten in the first place. A combination of physical and chemical barriers, along with certain behavioral modifications, can drastically reduce the likelihood of bites.
The first line of defense between you and ticks is clothing. While long socks, pants, and sleeves may be excessive for everyday activities (especially in the summer heat), they become more reasonable when venturing into tick-rich areas, like wooded hiking trails or fields with tall grass. Light-colored clothes provide an additional advantage, as they make ticks more visible against the fabric and allow for easier detection.
For added protection, clothing can be treated with permethrin, a chemical that kills ticks on contact rather than merely repelling them. Concentrations of 0.5% permethrin can be applied to clothing and gear, or pre-treated clothing is commercially available. Permethrin-treated clothing effectively kills ticks through multiple wash cycles, but periodic retreatment per manufacturer recommendations is advisable. While skin-contact with permethrin is generally safe (it is applied topically in higher concentrations to kill lice and scabies), the added effort of treating clothes may only be worth it for dedicated outdoors gear.
However, permethrin-treated clothes only protect the skin that is covered by the clothing. For skin not covered, an insect repellent such as DEET (≤30%) or picaridin (20%) can be used. Plant-based formulations (e.g., oil of lemon eucalyptus) are also available but are less effective against ticks and shorter-lasting than DEET or picaridin. Regardless of the chemical barrier you choose, ensure it is EPA-registered, meaning that the company has verified the repellency of their product. Follow the application instructions closely, and take special precautions around pets (for example, DEET is toxic to dogs and should not be applied anywhere a dog might lick).
Of course, you could just completely avoid ticks by staying away from tick-rich environments, like tall grass, brush areas, and leaf litter. For the many that refuse to make this concession, a quick tick check in the summer months can be an easy addition to the daily routine. Take a minute or two when changing your clothes or in the shower to scan your body, paying close attention to behind and inside ears, along the hairline and scalp, around the waist and underwear line, behind knees, between toes, around the buttocks, and in the genital area, as ticks like to hide in moist, warm areas. Ticks also tend to congregate around pressure points and can often be found under waistbands, backpack straps, bra straps, or anywhere with elastic. Don’t forget to check your pets as well — even if they are treated for tick prevention, they can still carry ticks into your house.
Washing both your body and clothes can help get rid of any extras you might miss from a tick check. Ticks can be smaller than you’d expect — from the size of a poppy seed to the size of a sesame seed — making them easy to miss at a quick glance. Placing clothes in the dryer first for six minutes on high heat will kill any ticks present.4 If washing is required first, use water heated to at least 54 °C (130 °F). Again, this extra step is most important for outdoor gear that is more likely to come in contact with ticks, and not for your daily laundry.
Safe tick removal and prophylaxis
Despite your best prevention efforts, you’ll occasionally find an attached tick on yourself, your kids, or your pets. Proper removal is straightforward: use fine-tipped tweezers or a specialized tick removal device (e.g., a “tick key”) to grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible, then pull straight up with steady pressure. Skip the folk remedies — no flames, nail polish, or petroleum jelly, as these can cause the tick to release more bacteria. Clean the area with soap and water afterward, and flush the tick down the toilet.
Even after you’ve removed a tick itself, it’s possible that any bacteria it may have released while attached could still cause disease. Thus, the next question is whether prophylactic action is required, and this decision depends on the level of risk involved. For most tick bites, the approach is watchful waiting — note the date of the bite and monitor for symptoms like fever, chills, muscle aches, or rash over the following weeks, especially the characteristic bullseye rash of Lyme disease. However, for higher-risk situations, early antibiotic treatment can be highly effective against most tick-borne illnesses. Factors impacting risk include the type of tick, the length of time it was attached (an engorged, blood-filled tick suggests prolonged attachment), and the overall proportion of disease-carrying ticks in your area. For instance, a black-legged tick attached for 36 hours or more in an area where Lyme disease is common would likely warrant prophylactic treatment with single-dose doxycycline. The CDC’s Tick Bite Bot can help you decide whether to seek professional care, and the decision on prophylaxis should ultimately involve an individualized risk assessment with your healthcare provider.5
Safe enjoyment of the outdoors
Summer is a time to enjoy the outdoors, and while the threat of tick-borne illnesses may warrant certain precautions, it should not prevent you from engaging in the outdoor activities you love. To keep things in perspective, it’s worth pointing out that the risk from any individual tick encounter is quite low. Not all ticks carry bacteria, and transmission for the most likely disease (Lyme) typically requires 36+ hours of attachment — giving you plenty of time to find and remove ticks. This is why daily tick checks are so effective. A quick scan while showering can catch ticks before they’ve had time to transmit anything, with the shower itself washing away ticks you might miss.
Still, the more frequently you experience bites, the greater the risk — especially in areas where disease-bearing ticks are fairly common. Thus, preventing bites in the first place can add further peace of mind. When heading into tick territory, the strategy is simple: wear light-colored clothing, use EPA-registered repellents, and do those daily checks. For extended outdoor activities, consider permethrin-treated gear.
Think of tick prevention like checking your rearview mirror — a simple habit that becomes automatic and keeps you safe. The goal isn’t avoidance, but easy routines that dramatically reduce your risk while letting you enjoy the outdoors with confidence.
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References
- CDC. Tick Bite Data Tracker. Ticks. July 11, 2024. Accessed July 2, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/data-research/facts-stats/tick-bite-data-tracker.html
- Field Guide to Ticks. Accessed July 2, 2025. https://web.uri.edu/tickencounter/fieldguide/
- CDC. Geographic Distribution of Tickborne Disease Cases. Ticks. June 30, 2025. Accessed July 2, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/data-research/facts-stats/geographic-distribution-of-tickborne-disease-cases.html
- Nelson CA, Hayes CM, Markowitz MA, et al. The heat is on: Killing blacklegged ticks in residential washers and dryers to prevent tickborne diseases. Ticks Tick Borne Dis. 2016;7(5):958-963. doi:10.1016/j.ttbdis.2016.04.016
- CDC. Tick Bite Bot. Ticks. July 23, 2024. Accessed July 2, 2025. https://www.cdc.gov/ticks/communication-resources/tick-bite-bot-1.html
