Ticks are most dangerous from late spring through midsummer, roughly May through July, when nymphal blacklegged ticks are active. Nymphs are the size of a poppy seed, easy to miss, and are responsible for most Lyme disease transmission.
It’s reasonable to worry about ticks, and they are an issue across a long stretch of the year. It’s worth knowing, however, that not all months are equally risky. When you know the seasonal patterns that ticks follow, it helps you to be vigilant at the times it matters most.
Adult blacklegged ticks (deer ticks) are active in fall and early spring. They're larger and easier to spot on skin and clothing. This is good news because Lyme disease and most other tick-borne diseases take 24–48 hours to transmit. Removing ticks early reduces your risk by a lot, and the fact that adult ticks are easier to spot only helps.
Nymphal ticks are smaller in size, but are the bigger problem. They emerge in late May and remain active through July, peaking in June in most of the Southeast. At the nymphal stage, a blacklegged tick is barely visible—about the size of a poppy seed. They can easily attach in places few people check like behind the knee or along the hairline. When attached, they can go unnoticed, feeding, for days.
The Sandhills are also home to the lone star tick, which is abundant, aggressive, and active starting early spring. Lone star ticks can transmit ehrlichiosis and are associated with alpha-gal syndrome, which triggers a red meat allergy for which there is no cure.
Ticks are at their worst from April to October in the Sandhills. But the highest-risk window for tick-borne disease is late spring, because that’s when the smaller nymphs are active.
If you're tired of worrying about ticks on your Sandhills property, Mosquito Squad of the Sandhills can help. Mosquito Squad provides tick control treatments that target the shaded, brushy areas where ticks wait for hosts, reducing your exposure during the months that matter most.
