Why Experts Say Tick Season Could Be Especially Bad in 2026

If it feels like everyone suddenly knows someone who found a tick on themselves, their dog, or their kid this spring, you’re not imagining it.

According to new CDC tick bite data, emergency room visits for tick bites are already running higher than usual across most of the United States, and experts say this year’s tick season could end up being one of the worst in nearly a decade.

Tick Season 2026 Is Already Off to an Aggressive Start

The CDC says emergency room visits for tick bites are higher than usual across most of the United States. According to the agency, weekly tick-related ER visits are the highest they’ve been for this point in the year since 2017.

The Northeast is currently seeing the highest levels of tick-related emergency room visits, although nearly every region, outside the South Central states, is reporting historic averages.

The CDC also estimates that approximately 476,000 people are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease every year in the United States, making it the country’s most common tick-borne illness.

That’s a big reason why experts are already paying such close attention to tick season 2026, even though summer hasn’t even arrived yet.

Why Ticks Are So Bad This Year

Experts say several environmental factors are colliding at the same time.

Milder winters have allowed larger tick populations to survive into the spring, especially in regions where the colder temperatures usually wipe them out. 

Warmer temperatures are also arriving earlier in the year and lasting longer, which, again, stretches out tick season.

Surprisingly, snow can help ticks survive, as well. Researchers explain that packed snow acts like an insulated blanket over leaf litter and soil, helping ticks stay protected during the colder months, instead of freezing off. That means areas with snowy winters may still end up with active tick populations once the temperatures rise.

Then there’s what experts call the acorn effect. During heavy acorn production years, mice, squirrels, chipmunks, and deer have more food available. As a result, their populations grow, which creates more hosts for ticks to feed on and spread through. 

More hosts also means more opportunities for ticks to pick up disease-causing bacteria before attaching to humans or pets. So, unfortunately, the forest basically turned into a very efficient tick networking event.

Tick-Borne Diseases Are Expanding Into New Areas

Most people immediately think of Lyme disease when ticks come up, but experts say several other tick-borne diseases are becoming increasingly common across expanding geographic areas.

Those include:

• Ehrlichiosis

• Anaplasmosis

• Rocky Mountain spotted fever

• Babesiosis

• Tularemia

• Tick paralysis

Veterinary researchers are also warning that several of these diseases are spreading more aggressively among dogs in 2026, particularly Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis, and anaplasmosis.

Part of the concern is that these illnesses don’t always look dramatic at first. Early symptoms often resemble the flu.

Lyme Disease Symptoms Can Be Easy to Miss

Early Lyme disease symptoms can include:

• Fever

• Chills

• Fatigue

• Muscle aches

• Headaches

• Swollen lymph nodes

• Joint pain

• A circular “bullseye” rash in some cases

But, not everyone develops the classic rash, which is one reason Lyme disease sometimes goes undiagnosed early on. If left untreated, Lyme disease can eventually affect the nervous system, heart, and joints. 

Other tick-borne illnesses can become severe, as well, sometimes leading to respiratory issues, organ damage, neurological complications, or excessive bleeding.

That’s why experts keep stressing that prevention matters more than trying to deal with a tick bite after the fact.

How to Prevent Tick Bites This Summer

The good news is that there are several effective ways to reduce your risk.

Experts say the best ways to prevent tick bites include:

• Wearing insect repellent

• Covering exposed skin while hiking or gardening

• Wearing closed-toe shoes in wooded areas

• Checking your body immediately after being outdoors

• Showering soon after coming inside

• Keeping the grass trimmed around your home

The CDC also recommends checking specific areas carefully because ticks tend to hide in warm, less visible spots.

That includes:

• Around the ears

• Along the hairline

• Under the arms

• Around the waist

• Behind the knees

• Between the toes

• Around the groin area

And, if you have pets, veterinarians strongly recommend staying current on flea and tick prevention treatments this year.

A Few Minutes of Prevention Goes a Long Way

Part of what makes ticks so frustrating is that they’ve become a nearly unavoidable part of spending time outdoors in many parts of the country.

But, the goal isn’t to panic every time you walk through grass or take the dog outside. It’s simply to build a few good habits that might lower your risk before a tiny bite turns into a much bigger problem.

If this summer ends up involving a few extra tick checks after our walks and hikes, most of us can probably live with that.

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