Why is Tick Activity So High in Massachusetts This Spring?

Now is the time of year when my daughter is regularly going to playgrounds. Sometimes I'll spend both weekend days driving her around to different playgrounds. She loves running in the parks, and going on the swings and slides but now I really have to keep my eye on her.

The reason why I have to watch her closely is she currently has an interest in going into the woods and picking up sticks. She likes to carry them around with her. Many of the playgrounds and parks we visit have woods surrounding them. I have learned that she wants to go to the playgrounds because she wants to be in the woods more than she wants to go on the rides. I can't tell you how many times we have been at playgrounds and parks and I have actually seen ticks crawling around in the wooded areas. Luckily I keep her fully clothed and I protect her with long pants, long sleeves etc. but the tick activity is crazy this year.

To that point it's been reported by various news outlets that Massachusetts and the northeast in general is experiencing the highest levels of tick activity in nearly a decade. It's bee reported by WWLP, that in April (2026), 105 out of every 100,000 emergency room visits were related to tick bites, marking the highest April rate recorded since 2017.

So why is the tick population booming so much. Much of it has to do with weather including longer, milder winters. Although this past winter was anything but mild, the heavy snowfall that we had serves as a way for ticks and other insects to insulate under leaves. The deer and rodent population is up as well and that's a breeding ground for ticks.

Just a reminder, if you're going outside for any length of time, especially around wooded areas, make sure you wear longs sleeves, pants, tuck your pants in your boots/shoes and you insect repellent with DEET. For other tick bite prevention methods, go here.