If you spend time outdoors, especially in the Northeast, 2026 may bring more encounters with ticks than you’re used to. Lauren Klingsberg, who lives part-time on Fire Island and gardens frequently, says she often finds ticks on herself and her dog. ‘I garden, and I have a dog. So I’m out a lot, and I get ticks on me all the time,’ she says.
The CDC reports nearly half a million Americans are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year, and experts expect the upward trend to continue into 2026. ‘We see a steady increase from year to year, and we expect it to be the same last year and then this year,’ one public-health expert observed.
Dr. Nicole Baumgarth of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health points to the upper Northeast as ground zero for ticks, but warming temperatures have allowed these pests to move farther north and west. While extremely cold winters can reduce tick numbers, heavy snow cover this past season insulated ticks and provided moisture that helped them survive. ‘That keeps them alive, and that’s why we’re expecting that it’s going to be a bad season,’ an expert explained.
Still, specialists stress the risk should be weighed against the physical and mental benefits of spending time outside. You don’t have to give up nature to stay safe. Practical precautions reduce your chances of being bitten:
– Stay on cleared trails and avoid brushing against vegetation. ‘My recommendation is stay away from any vegetation. Stay on the trails. Don’t touch anything in terms of limbs or branches or certainly vegetation, where they’re waiting to latch onto you.’
– Wear permethrin-treated clothing and consider treating gear and pet bedding. Tuck socks into pants to block ticks from crawling up. Use EPA-registered repellents on skin and clothing.
– Keep pets away from dense vegetation and check them regularly for ticks after walks.
– Shower soon after coming indoors and perform a full-body tick check. Inspect clothing and gear and wash and dry clothes on high heat.
With a few simple habits—proper clothing, repellents, vigilant checks, and staying on trails—you can still enjoy the outdoors while minimizing tick risk. Small changes make a big difference in protecting yourself and your pets during what many expect will be another active tick season.