Yes, and there are a lot of reasons why. We’ve had a warm start to winter, tick ranges are expanding, and infection rates are rising. The year 2026 is on track to be one of the more aggressive tick seasons in recent memory.
If you’ve already been finding ticks this season, you’re not the only one. In fact, the reports from tick researchers across the Northeast confirm that what you're seeing on your property reflects a broader pattern.
Experts at SUNY Upstate's Tick Testing Laboratory reported a 145% increase in tick submissions between 2024 and 2025, and early 2026 activity is running ahead of schedule. Researchers at Cornell have noted that ticks are appearing in more places and carrying more diseases than in previous years. In Connecticut, the state’s Agricultural Experiment Station saw peak-level tick submissions in early April, consistent with the kind of activity that doesn’t usually come until May or June. Among them, 40% of the ticks were shown to carry the Lyme disease-causing bacteria, which is well above the long-term average.
The early part of winter 2025-2026 was unusually mild across the region, which made life easier for ticks as they headed into dormancy. Then, heavy snowfall insulated the ground through the coldest months, protecting overwintering ticks from lethal temperatures. The result is that more ticks survived winter, and now that it’s spring, they’re ready to breed.
There’s also been a strong acorn crop in recent years. That has been good news for mice and chipmunks, as well as for the ticks that use them as hosts. More hosts mean more ticks have successfully fed and molted. Those new ticks are now emerging as nymphs, which are the smallest, hardest to detect, and the most likely to transmit Lyme disease.
For Northern Westchester homeowners, don't wait for a tick encounter to take action. If you want more tips on what you can do to reduce your risk exposure, this video on the 6 C's of tick control is full of practical advice.
If you’re a homeowner in Northern Westchester, Mosquito Squad of Northern Westchester can help. With tick control treatments starting in early spring, you can get ahead of tick season this year. A trained pro will walk your property and find the shaded, high-risk zones where ticks like to breed and hide. Then they’ll treat based on what they find and come back every three weeks so the tick population stays under control all season long.
