Tick-Tock, It’s That Time Again To Prevent Tick Bites

TickTock, It's That Time Again To Prevent Tick Bites

The New York City Health Department Continues Tick Bite Prevention Efforts, Including Surveillance and Public Education

Ticks Carrying Diseases Are Primarily Found on Staten Island, in the North Bronx, and in Areas Outside the City That New Yorkers Frequently Visit

June 1, 2026 - The New York City Health Department urges New Yorkers to protect themselves and their families from tick-borne diseases as summer approaches and people begin to travel and engage in outdoor activity. Ticks carrying pathogens that cause diseases are found on Staten Island and in the North Bronx and are common in many wooded areas outside of the city, including Long Island, upstate New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut.

Lyme disease is the most common tick-borne disease among New Yorkers, followed by babesiosis and anaplasmosis.

"As the weather warms and New Yorkers spend more time outdoors, we ask they take precautions to prevent tick bites," said NYC Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin. "We encourage New Yorkers to use a multistep approach to preventing tick bites including an EPA-registered tick repellent and checking their bodies, as well as their children and pets, for ticks after being in wooded areas that may harbor ticks."

"With New Yorkers heading outdoors to enjoy the city's parks this spring and summer, a few simple precautions can go a long way in preventing tick bites," said NYC Parks Director of Wildlife Richard Simon. "Wearing light-colored clothing makes ticks easier to spot, while tucking your pants into your socks and applying insect repellent to your clothes and shoes adds another layer of protection. Keep in mind that ticks aren't just found in tall grass, they can hide in short grass too. Stick to our clearly marked hiking trails, watch for colored trail markers, and try not to brush against surrounding foliage. A little preparation means New Yorkers can get outside and enjoy everything our parks have to offer this season."

In 2025, there were 2,928 preliminary cases of Lyme disease reported among New York City residents. In 2024, there were 2,557 reported cases of Lyme disease. Additionally, in 2025 there were 98 reports of babesiosis and 107 of anaplasmosis among New Yorkers. Most people with tick-borne diseases were infected while spending time outside NYC, including in upstate New York, Long Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts.

The Health Department has surveillance systems to monitor ticks and tick-borne diseases. To conduct human disease surveillance, epidemiologists monitor tick-borne disease trends and investigate cases of disease to learn more about risk factors. In addition to human surveillance, the Health Department monitors and tests tick populations in several locations across the five boroughs. A "drag" or cloth is used to collect ticks and test them for several pathogens at the Health Department's Public Health Laboratory. Partner agencies, including the NYC Parks Department, post notices that ticks are present along with recommendations on how to avoid tick bites. The Health Department has found the following ticks in NYC parks, and has detected pathogens that cause tick-borne diseases in a small number of these ticks:

• Blacklegged ticks can be found on Staten Island and in the North Bronx. They can transmit Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, Borrelia miyamotoi disease, and Powassan virus.
• Lone star ticks can be found on Staten Island and in the North Bronx. They can transmit ehrlichiosis and are associated with alpha-gal syndrome.
• Gulf coast ticks can be found on Staten Island and may carry Rickettsia parkeri rickettsiosis.
• Asian longhorned ticks can be found on Staten Island and in the North Bronx. This tick has not been found to carry any transmittable diseases in the United States to date.
• American dog ticks can be found across all the five boroughs. While this tick has been associated with Rocky Mountain spotted fever, no NYC ticks have tested positive for this pathogen in recent years.

A range of factors influence tick populations, including weather and available food for hosts, such as acorns for white-footed mice. Climate change is also contributing to warmer average temperatures resulting in longer, warmer seasons. Earlier springs, hotter summers, and shorter, milder winters create conditions that influence the number of ticks and where they may be found. As ticks emerge and expand into new areas, the risk of tick bites and tick-borne disease increases.

There is more information about ticks, Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and ehrlichiosis on the Health Department's website.

The Health Department also has a variety of programs to educate New Yorkers on ways to reduce their risk of tick-borne diseases. Health educators work with summer camps, libraries, NYC Parks, and community organizations to teach children and adults about tick safety. The Health Department has also created a Tick Toolkit for Educators to empower educators to teach tick safety to their own students. Additional resources can be found below.

• New York City Tick ID and Removal Wallet Card (PDF)
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• Ticks Taking Over? Take Back Your Yard (PDF)
  Other Languages: Español
• All About Ticks: A Workbook for Kids and Their Parents (PDF)
  Other Languages: Español

Recommendations to Prevent Tick Bites and Tick-Borne Illnesses

• Reduce your risk at home - if ticks are present, create a tick-safe zone.
• • Know where ticks live - often shady, moist areas at ground level, especially in or at the edges of woods and around old stone walls.
  • Keep grass short and don't let piles of brush or leaves build up.
  • Trim shrubs and tree branches around your yard to let in more sunlight.
  • Create a barrier to define a tick-safe zone around your yard.
  • Keep playground equipment and outdoor furniture in a sunny location, away from yard edges and trees.
  • Don't leave out food that attracts deer and other wildlife.
• Repel, don't attract, ticks.
• • Use an EPA registered insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, or IR3535 with a product label indicating it is effective against ticks (not mosquitoes only).
  • Use permethrin products on clothing or shoes (but not the skin) to repel and kill ticks.
  • Stay in the center of cleared paths and hiking trails when walking in heavily wooded areas.
  • Wear light-colored clothing to see ticks easier.
  • Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants, and socks when in wooded areas. Tuck pants into socks and shirts into pants to prevent ticks from attaching to your skin.
• After being outdoors in wooded, brushy or tall-grass areas:
• • Check for ticks on your body and clothing and remove any ticks you find on yourself, your child or your pet. Watch this video on how to remove ticks.
  • Look carefully, including in areas of the body where hair is present since it may make it difficult to see the ticks. Young ticks (nymphs) can be very small (about the size of a poppy seed), so it may be difficult to spot them. Adult ticks are about the size of an apple seed.
  • Bathe or shower as soon as possible after coming indoors, ideally within two hours.
  • Place dry clothing in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks. Wet or damp clothing might need more time in the dryer.
  • Use hot water when washing clothing to kill ticks. If hot water cannot be used, tumble dry wet or damp clothes on low heat for 70 minutes or high heat for 40 minutes.
  • If you get a rash or a fever, let the doctor know if you may have been exposed to ticks, even if you don't remember having a tick bite.
• Pets
• • Ask your veterinarian which flea and tick repellents are best to use on your pet. Repellents help protect your pets from tick-borne diseases, and also protect pet owners, as ticks can travel into the home on dogs, cats, and other pets.
  • Dogs, and less often, cats, can also get sick from ticks. If you think your pet may have been bitten by a tick and you see changes in your pet's behavior or appetite, speak with your veterinarian.

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