As the weather begins to warm up, more of us are heading outside to walk the dog, work in the yard, hike local trails, visit parks, and enjoy spring sports and activities. It is also the time of year to start thinking seriously about ticks. Ticks live in grassy, brushy, and wooded areas, and many people encounter them close to home, including in their own yards and neighborhoods. In Connecticut, recent statewide surveillance found blacklegged ticks remained consistently abundant, with more than 10,000 ticks collected across all eight counties in 2025.
Ticks can spread several illnesses, not just Lyme disease. In the United States, ticks can transmit germs that cause Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Powassan virus disease, ehrlichiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and other infections. In Connecticut, public health officials specifically note that blacklegged ticks can spread Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Borrelia miyamotoi disease, and Powassan virus disease.
Lyme disease remains the tick-borne illness people hear about most often, and for good reason. The CDC reports that more than 89,000 Lyme disease cases were reported nationally in 2023, while other CDC estimates suggest roughly 476,000 people in the U.S. may be diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year. Lyme disease is most common in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and upper Midwest.
In Connecticut, tick prevention is especially important because local surveillance continues to show elevated pathogen levels in blacklegged ticks. In the 2025 Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station surveillance report, 55% of adult blacklegged ticks and 25% of nymphs tested positive for the bacterium that causes Lyme disease. The same report also found blacklegged ticks carrying babesiosis and anaplasmosis pathogens, with Powassan virus detected at low levels in adult ticks.
One reason early-season awareness is so important is that immature ticks, called nymphs, are very small and easy to miss. The Connecticut DPH notes that nymphs are about the size of a poppy seed, and that most Lyme disease infections occur during May through July when nymphs are actively searching for a meal. Ticks do not jump or fly; they are usually picked up from grasses and overgrown areas and often start on the lower legs before crawling upward.
How to Prevent Tick Bites
The good news is that a few simple steps can significantly reduce your risk.
Wear the right clothing when you expect to be in tick habitat. Long pants, long sleeves, closed shoes, and light-colored clothing can help you spot ticks more easily. In brushy or wooded areas, tuck pant legs into socks and stay toward the center of trails.
Use an EPA-registered insect repellent on exposed skin and clothing as directed. EPA lists active ingredients including DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, p-menthane-3,8-diol, and 2-undecanone. The CDC recommends treating clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin or purchasing permethrin-treated items.
When you come back inside, do not skip the follow-up steps. The CDC recommends showering within 2 hours of coming indoors, checking your body for ticks, and tumble-drying clothes on high heat for 10 minutes to help kill ticks.
How to Do a Tick Check
A tick check should become part of your routine after time outdoors, especially after yard work, hiking, gardening, or playing in grassy areas.
Check your entire body carefully, paying close attention to:
- under the arms
- behind the knees
- in and around the ears
- in the hair and along the scalp
- inside the belly button
- around the waist
- between the legs and in the groin area
Ticks can be tiny, so use a mirror or ask for help checking hard-to-see places. Be sure to check children and pets, too.
What to Do If You Find a Tick
If you find a tick attached to your skin, remove it as soon as possible. Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible, then pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick. After removal, clean the bite area and your hands with soap and water, rubbing alcohol, or hand sanitizer. Do not use petroleum jelly, nail polish, or heat to try to make the tick detach.
Prompt removal matters. Connecticut DPH notes that for Lyme disease, nymphal and adult female ticks generally need to feed for more than 24 hours before bacteria are transmitted. Removing ticks promptly reduces the risk of infection.
When to Call a Healthcare Provider
After a tick bite, keep an eye out for symptoms over the next several days to weeks. Common warning signs of tickborne illness include fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle aches, joint pain, and rash. For Lyme disease, the CDC says the classic erythema migrans rash occurs in about 70% to 80% of infected people, though it does not always look like a bull’s-eye. Seek medical care if you develop a rash or fever after a tick bite, and tell your provider when the bite happened and where you were exposed.
A little prevention can go a long way. As outdoor season begins, taking a few extra minutes to protect yourself, do a tick check, and remove ticks promptly can help you and your family enjoy spring and summer more safely.
