They’re not lurking just in the deep woods anymore. That’s the wake-up call health officials across Western New York are sounding as tick season hits peak danger—and this year, it’s worse than it’s been in nearly a decade.
The CDC reports emergency room visits for tick bites have reached their highest weekly rate since 2017. But here’s what makes that statistic scarier than it sounds: these bloodsucking parasites aren’t confined to hiking trails or state forests. Rebecca Roll with Lyme Western New York puts it bluntly: “It’s an everywhere problem. It’s not an outdoor problem. It’s not a wooded problem. It’s an everywhere problem.” Your backyard, your neighborhood sidewalk, even your kid’s playground—they’re all potential tick territory.
The risk landscape in our region tells the story. The Southern Tier sits at medium risk for nymphal ticks, while the northern Buffalo area carries slightly lower risk for that particular stage. But adult ticks? That’s where the danger cranks up to high across the whole region. Don’t let that scare you into staying indoors, though. Roll reminds us that the payoff of getting outside still outweighs the risk—we’re lucky to live here, and that means using it.
So how do you actually stay safe? Start with the basics: light-colored clothing makes ticks easier to spot, and long sleeves and pants tucked into socks or boots create a barrier they can’t cross. The Western New York Public Health Alliance recommends insect repellent with 20-30% DEET, though the EPA also backs alternatives like picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. (If you’re using sunscreen, apply that first, repellent second.)
The critical move? A full-body check after you come inside. Don’t skip the weird spots—under your arms, behind your ears, inside the belly button, between your legs, around the waistline. If you find one, grab fine-tipped tweezers and pull straight up from the mouthparts without twisting. Speed matters: removing a tick within 36 hours of attachment can dramatically lower your risk of contracting Lyme disease. Watch the bite site for a rash over the next 3 to 30 days.
At home, you can also create a tick-safe zone: keep grass mowed, clear brush away from stone walls and wood piles, place a 3-foot barrier of wood chips between your lawn and any wooded areas, and keep playground equipment and patios in sunny spots away from tree edges. Fencing and keeping pets out of wooded areas both help too. The goal isn’t to eliminate every tick—that’s impossible—but to stack the odds in your favor. Summer’s here. Get outside, stay smart, and check yourself on the way back in.
