You Won’t Be Happy To Hear That New Jersey Is Experiencing A Major Surge Of Ticks This Year

I love bringing you the best New Jersey has to offer, every day of the week. I want to help you discover the Garden State’s most amazing restaurants, events, and attractions, along with occasional bits of history and humor. I’m all about the good stuff, but sometimes, I’m also about keeping you informed. Today, I’ve got something serious to cover, but I’ve also got some tips to keep you protected…

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With a warmer winter, many ticks survived the season. With higher than average precipitation totals, ticks are thriving.

New Jersey is currently home to a variety of ticks (11 total), including the Blacklegged Deer Tick (which transmits Lyme Disease), American Dog Tick (which transmits Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever), and the Lone Star Tick (which transmits STARI, similar to Lyme). We've also been dealing with an invasive tick species which has been known to cause illness in other countries...the East Asian Tick.

Ticks can pose serious health threats and are a bigger issue than many realize. Lyme disease was diagnosed in more than 5,000 New Jersey residents in 2017 — the highest number in close to two decades. However, the CDC estimates the actual quantity of cases could be 10 times that amount. It often goes diagnosed, with a wide variety of symptoms.

So, what do we do? Do we stay inside forever? Of course not. There are steps we can take to help protect ourselves...

1. Stick to the middle of trails when hiking.
2. When enjoying nature, wear long sleeves and pants, and tuck your pants into your socks.
3. Try permethrin-based clothing or mosquito repellents with at least 30 percent deet.
4. Once home, check your skin immediately.
5. Bathe within two hours of having been outside, and check your clothing and gear for ticks, too.
6. Tumbling clothes in a dryer on high heat for an hour will kill any ticks you collected.
7. Remove ticks immediately. Be sure to remove the entire tick and to disinfect the bite.
8. If you notice any strange signs or symptoms, see a doctor. Many tick-related illnesses can be treated if caught quickly.