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As the warm weather rolls in, homeowners across regions like the Northeast, Upper Midwest, Middle Atlantic, Ohio River Valley, and even parts of the South should brace themselves for a particularly active tick season.
These tiny pests are more than just an annoyance; they are increasingly sending people to the emergency room. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Bite Tracker reveals a startling rise, with 71 out of every 100,000 emergency room visits in April 2026 being tick-related. This figure is more than twice the historical norm.
While factors like weather conditions, human activity, and wildlife patterns contribute to the uptick in tick populations and associated health risks, there are measures homeowners can take to safeguard their families and pets.
Hamilton Allen, an entomologist and vice president of technical and safety at Fox Pest Control in Tampa, FL, advises, “To create an effective tick-free zone, consider using year-round tick-preventative medications, clearing leaf litter around your property, laying down wood chips and mulch near the boundary between your yard and the forest, and keeping your lawn mowed.”
Why these locations are seeing an uptick
The MyWild 2026 Tick Forecast indicates that tick populations are booming in states such as Ohio, Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia, along with Kentucky and Tennessee. This expansion underscores how ticks are migrating beyond their traditional strongholds in the Northeast and Upper Midwest to make their presence felt in the Southern regions as well.
The main culprit? The weather conditions this past winter.
Theresa Smith, senior vice president of NaturaLawn of America in Frederick, MD, explains that in areas that were a bit colder than usual, snow that took months to melt helped insulate ticks from the extremely cold air.
“Snow keeps the temperature of the ground beneath it more stable, so even while air temperatures continue to drop, the ground underneath it stays warmer. Since much of the Northeast and mid-Atlantic experienced that long-lasting snowpack or ‘snowcrete’ coverage, this effect was especially pronounced,” Smith explains.
In the South, where the winter months brought above-average temperatures, more ticks were able to survive and reproduce.
“The warmth gave ticks the ideal conditions for breeding,” Smith explains.
The warmer winter weather also allowed ticks to expand their habitats, meaning areas where ticks have not historically been an issue will begin seeing more of these disease-carrying pests.
Nicole Carpenter, pest control professional and president at Black Pest Prevention in Charlotte, NC, points out that the ticks don’t need to travel far to grow.
“The increase in tick populations is also about people spending more time and building homes in places where ticks are already active. Wildlife like deer and other animals that move through neighborhoods more often now can bring new ticks,” Carpenter explains.
How to mitigate ticks around your home
Ticks are harmful to humans and animals alike.
“Deer ticks can transmit Lyme disease by climbing on a blade of grass and waiting for an animal or human to brush by. Other ticks, like the lone star ticks, can transmit ehrlichiosis and other serious infections,” says Dr. Linden Hu, infectious disease specialist and professor of immunology at Tufts University in Boston.
They can lead to fever, rashes, fatigue, and other flu-like systems that often warrant a trip to an emergency room. The good news is you can reduce their presence to keep your family and pets safe. Here are several expert tips:
Maintain your yard
Ticks love poorly maintained yards.
“Tall grass, poorly ventilated yards, and yards with a lot of shaded spots are most attractive to ticks,” says Carpenter.
If you want to keep them away, keep your yard in optimal shape. Mow your lawn, and trim trees and shrubs that may create a lot of shade.
Choose the right ground cover
Avoid mulch, leaf piles, or dense ground cover.
“Choose gravel, wood chips, or stone barriers instead, because dry, open materials make it harder for ticks to stay sheltered and humid,” Carpenter explains.
Use a cedar spray
If your goal is to prevent ticks from sticking around, then a cedar oil spray can do wonders. It has a strong scent that ticks don’t like.
Carpenter recommends you spray shaded corners, yard edges, fence lines, and areas where neighboring pets or wildlife can pass through.
Plant tick-repellant plants
“Lavender, rosemary, and marigolds can be planted near where your family or pets spend the most time,” says Smith.
It’s also a good idea to plant these around the edge of your home.
Add fencing
Properties without fences are more prone to ticks because deer, rodents, or stray cats and dogs can move through the yard and bring ticks with them.
If you don’t have a fence, installing one might be worthwhile.
“Fencing solves part of the problem because it simply limits the amount of host animals that can pass through and drop ticks around the yard,” adds Carpenter.