Several other tick-borne illnesses<\/a>, including Heartland virus<\/a> disease, Powassan virus<\/a> disease, babesiosis<\/a> and anaplasmosis<\/a>, can cause serious health problems and, in severe cases, even death.<\/p>\n Ticks can be tiny. An adult deer tick is on the left and a nymph of the same species is on the right, both sitting on an adult\u2019s finger. 2026 has been a tough year, with emergency room visits linked to tick bites<\/a> running high going into summer.<\/p>\n So how can you avoid getting bitten, and what preventive measures actually work? I\u2019m the co-director of the Tick-Borne Disease Center<\/a> at Binghamton University. Here are some of the questions my team hears \u2013 and some advice:<\/p>\n 1. Why should I worry about ticks, and how do I know if I\u2019ve been infected?<\/p>\n Ticks can really pack a punch when it comes to how sick they make you. Lyme disease and anaplasmosis, both caused by bacteria that deer ticks can carry, are the most common tick-borne diseases<\/a> we see in the U.S.<\/p>\n About 70% to 80% of people with Lyme disease<\/a> will see a rash develop that often looks like a bull\u2019s-eye, and they\u2019ll experience flu-like symptoms, such as a fever, chills, body aches and fatigue. Antibiotics can control the infection, but only if the disease is quickly treated. <\/p>\n The black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick, is a major spreader of Lyme disease, as well as anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and Powassan virus disease. The American West has its own blacklegged tick, found primarily in California and the coastal mountains. As Lyme disease progresses, a patient can get severe headaches; Bell\u2019s Palsy, involving loss of muscle tone or droop in one or both sides of the face; severe arthritis; heart palpitations; and episodes of dizziness or shortness of breath. Some people who are diagnosed with acute Lyme disease and treated still develop chronic symptoms<\/a>.<\/p>\n Anaplasmosis symptoms<\/a> can be similar to those of Lyme disease, including fever, headache, fatigue, lethargy, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. A rash is very uncommon for anaplasmosis infections, however. Severe cases can cause tingling sensations in the hands and feet, and without treatment the disease can progress to respiratory or kidney failure.<\/p>\n An erythematous rash, in the bull\u2019s-eye shape, is an indicator of Lyme disease, but not everyone gets the rash, and other tick diseases lack similar telltale signs. Infection with a tick-borne disease can result in debilitating fatigue and chronic pain. Patients often miss work and have trouble keeping up with daily tasks in their everyday lives while they\u2019re fighting off an infection.<\/p>\n Avoiding a tick bite in the first place is the best way to prevent infection.<\/p>\n 2. What can I do to keep ticks away?<\/p>\n Ticks typically hang out low to the ground, often on the tips of grass blades or vegetation. They are attracted to your thermal signature \u2013 the heat your body produces \u2013 and the carbon dioxide from your breathing, which tells them that you have blood they want to feed on.<\/p>\n As you walk by, they\u2019ll reach out and grab onto your clothing or shoes or backpack. This is called \u201cquesting<\/a>.\u201d They typically crawl around on your skin for a little while, around 30 minutes to an hour<\/a>, before deciding to bite. When they do bite, their saliva, which can carry disease-causing bacteria, parasites or viruses, connects with your blood.<\/p>\n This Rocky Mountain wood tick exhibits questing behavior, where it waves outstretched arms from a grass-blade to latch onto passing animals or humans. It can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever and tularemia. Ticks can be hard to spot. Deer ticks, for example, can range from the size of a pinhead as larvae to a poppy seed in the nymph stage, to a sesame seed as adults. Only 30% to 50% of Lyme disease patients remember having a tick bite<\/a> at all.<\/p>\n However, ticks need moisture to survive, so they thrive in environments that retain a lot of moisture \u2013 think wooded areas. To keep ticks off, you can:<\/p>\n Wear long sleeves and long pants when you\u2019re in tick habitat. Ticks don\u2019t bite through clothing, and less skin exposure means fewer places for them to attach.<\/p>\n Wear light colors so you can spot ticks when they get on your clothes.<\/p>\n The lone star tick has gotten a lot of attention lately for its ability to cause a red meat allergy in humans. The tick can also carry other viruses, including those that causes ehrlichiosis, Heartland virus and tularemia. Wear a repellent, but make sure it will work on ticks. Many bug sprays don\u2019t. DEET is one chemical<\/a> that has been shown to deter ticks.<\/p>\n Use sprays that kill ticks on contact. Permethrin is a spray that works on clothing and gear<\/a> to keep ticks from grabbing you, but do not put it directly on your skin! The concentration in sprays can cause burning and tingling, and it can harm cats. This is what I use to treat my clothing when I\u2019m doing research in tick-infested areas. After collecting over 7,500 ticks for my research, I have been bitten only once.<\/p>\n The American dog tick can transmit tularemia and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Another species of American dog tick has established itself in California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Change your clothes after outdoor activities, including gardening and hiking, and put the clothes in the dryer on high heat for about 20 minutes. Without moisture, ticks cannot survive.<\/p>\n Do tick checks! If you find a tick before it bites you, it\u2019s not a risk to you. Be sure to check in and around your hair, ears, belly button, groin area, behind the knees and armpits. Take a shower after outdoor activity \u2013 it will also be easier to spot ticks.<\/p>\n Check your pets for ticks, as well. It takes time for disease transmission to occur, so the faster you remove a tick, the better. I take my dog hiking in the woods every day, and I keep a lint roller in the car to run over her and me to pick up ticks that may be crawling on us before getting back in the car.<\/p>\n 3. What can I do to keep ticks out of my yard?<\/p>\n Ticks like areas that retain moisture, such as leaf litter and overgrowth. Keeping your lawn mowed, gardens maintained and removing leaf litter can reduce tick habitats.<\/p>\n Creating a wood chip \u201cbuffer zone<\/a>\u201d between manicured lawn and overgrowth or woods can help, particularly if you use cedar chips. Keeping gardens, play sets and other areas where people hang out away from wilder areas can also limit exposure.<\/p>\n Tips for keeping your yard tick-free, from the Lake County Illinois Health Department.<\/p>\n Yard sprays<\/a>, such as bifenthrin and permethrin, can help to reduce tick populations in your yard, but it\u2019s recommended to hire a licensed professional to do this. Typically, perimeters and shady areas would be sprayed, while generally open, sunny lawns don\u2019t need treatment. <\/p>\n We all love our bird feeders, but the farther they are from the house, the better. Bird feeders can attract rodents, which often serve as reservoirs for the pathogens that ticks pick up and can transmit to you.<\/p>\n 4. If I find a tick on me, what should I do?<\/p>\n The first thing you want to do is remove the tick<\/a>. Use fine-tipped tweezers and grab as close to its head and your skin as you can and pull up. Do not use Vaseline, essential oils or dish soap. Deer ticks secrete a gluelike enzyme when they feed, so if they\u2019re in that stage of feeding, they cannot back out and may regurgitate, which can speed up disease transmission.<\/p>\n A close-up of a tick\u2019s mouth shows the barbs that enter the skin to help the tick hang on.![\"Two](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/file-20260714-71-hdfqht.png\")
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