More Ticks, Tick Bites Reported In Massachusetts

MASSACHUSETTS — For every 100,000 emergency room visits in the northeastern U.S. in May, 222 were for tick bites, up from 181 per 100,000 emergency room visits in 2020, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The data doesn't show how many of those bites were in Massachusetts, but there's plenty of anecdotal evidence that we're seeing more ticks than usual this year. And the northeast, according to the CDC, is typically the worst region for ticks.

The good news is that this year's numbers are lower than the number of tick bite emergency room visits reported in the northeast in 2019 and 2018. That's probably because a year ago, at the height of the coronavirus pandemic, people were more reluctant to risk infection with an emergency room visit.

Still, this year's tick season started earlier than usual, thanks to the warm winter, and experts suggest we will see more ticks in coming years. Tick season usually peaks in late May and June in New England, but the pests —whose bites can cause disease and serious infections in humans and pets —are a year-round threat.

Experts predict we could be in for even more ticks in coming years, thanks to warming temperature and more building which mean deer, one of the biggest carriers of ticks, are living closer to our homes.

Health officials recommend the following for preventing tick bites:

• Avoid wooded and leafy areas, as well as areas with tall grass.
• Use insect repellant whenever you spend time outside.
• Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin.
• Examine skin, clothing and pets for ticks when you come inside. Don't forget to look under arms, in and around the ears, inside belly buttons, behind your knees, in hair, between legs and around the waist.
• If you do find a tick on your skin, quickly remove it following the CDC's instructions.