Tick Season on Delmarva

Ticks are active any time the ground is unfrozen, but risk concentrates in two big windows: late spring through midsummer (nymph season) and early through late fall (adult season).

• Walking wooded trails at Trap Pond, Killens Pond, Cape Henlopen, or Pocomoke State Forest.
• Cutting through tall grass, brushy field edges, or marsh-adjacent paths.
• Yard cleanup - raking leaves, hauling brush, working along the wood line.
• Dog walks through grassy shoulders, then close contact with the dog at home.
• Sitting or kneeling in leaf litter (gardening, mulching, hunting setups).
• Tent camping or cabin stays where gear sits on the ground for hours.

• A small red bump at the bite site, often unnoticed until itching starts a day or two later.
• An expanding circular or oval rash 3–30 days later - the classic 'bull's-eye' is one pattern, but many Lyme rashes are uniformly red.
• A flat red ring with a clear center (lone star tick) sometimes called STARI.
• Itchy welt at the bite that lingers for one to two weeks even with no infection.
• Multiple bites in one outing - adults often pick up several nymphs from a single brush against tall grass.

Most tick bites do not transmit disease. The risk goes up with how long the tick was attached - generally above 24 hours for Lyme.

1. 1Don't panic - most bites don't transmit disease, especially if the tick is removed quickly.
2. 2Note the date and roughly how long the tick may have been attached.
3. 3Remove the tick using the steps below. Don't squeeze the body or use folk remedies.
4. 4Save the tick in a sealable bag or stuck to clear tape, labeled with the date.
5. 5Wash the bite, mark the spot in a phone photo, and watch it for 30 days.
6. 6Check the rest of your body - ticks travel in pairs more often than people expect.

1. 1Use fine-tip tweezers or a dedicated tick-removal tool. Don't crush or twist with fingernails.
2. 2Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible - at the mouthparts, not the body.
3. 3Pull straight up with steady, even pressure. Don't jerk, twist, or yank sideways.
4. 4If a piece of mouthpart breaks off, leave it - your body will work it out. Don't dig.
5. 5Clean the bite with soap and water, then rubbing alcohol or an antiseptic.
6. 6Save the tick in a sealable bag or piece of tape with the date. If symptoms develop, your clinician can use it for ID.
7. 7Don't use petroleum jelly, nail polish, matches, or essential oils - these don't work and can make the tick regurgitate into the wound.

Most tick bites resolve on their own. A short list of warning signs means you should stop self-treating and contact a clinician.

• Expanding red rash at or away from the bite site, days to weeks later.
• Fever, chills, body aches, headache, or fatigue within a month of a bite.
• Joint pain or swelling, especially in the knees.
• Facial drooping or nerve symptoms.
• A new meat allergy after a lone star tick bite (alpha-gal syndrome).
• Tick was attached more than 24 hours and you live in a high-Lyme area - ask about prophylaxis.

A dedicated Best Tick Removal Tools guide is on the way - it will compare fine-tip tweezers, tick keys, and tick spoons head-to-head.

• Tick removal and testing- CDC
• Lyme disease - signs and symptoms- CDC
• Tick-borne illness in Maryland- Maryland DNR
• Tick identification and surveillance- Delaware Division of Public Health
• Alpha-gal syndrome overview- NIH / NIAID
• Pet tick prevention guidelines- AVMA