So far, this tick season has lived up to experts’ predictions regarding severity. The 2025 tick season has already outpaced prior years for tick-bite and tick-borne disease doctor visits. Plymouth County has the second highest level of tick-borne disease visits, at 43 so far this year and behind Dukes/Nantucket with 48 collectively according to the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH).
Cases of Lyme disease have exploded in recent years, especially in the Northeast. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) reported Plymouth County having 1385 new cases of Lyme recorded in 2023 (the last time results were input), as opposed to 639 the year prior. This massive uptick can largely be attributed to more going outside following the end of Covid lockdowns. However, it still remains that cases recorded are higher now than ever.
Generally, it seems as though anytime you, or a pet, enter into heavy grass, line of a forest, or stray off the path of a trail, you are bound to catch at least one on you looking for a snack. Dog ticks and deer ticks are the most common in the area, with the latter being responsible for the spread of Lyme, though all are capable of carrying some form of disease.
Rochester, due to high forest coverage, undeveloped areas, and high population of deer and wild animals, would have the highest number of ticks. However, Marion and Mattapoisett are not short of their own foliage, and you should still maintain best practices when outdoors there.
Both the CDC and the DPH recommend the same preventative strategies. First and foremost, avoid areas where ticks are likely to be. If you have to near their habitat, it’s recommended to wear long sleeves and long pants, though that can be difficult with higher temperatures. Bug repellents, especially with DEET, are effective but only for use on non-infants. If out hiking with someone else, offer to help each other spot for them and remove them ASAP. For children and infants, it’s important to check in folds and behind/inside their ears for ticks as well.
If you’re worried or overly-anxious about an encounter, speak with a doctor to get their input and monitor the area you were bitten. Don’t let it ruin your summer or even affect your plans. However, be on the lookout and be prepared! Scientists pin the explosion in tick populations to rising temperatures, meaning numbers are not declining any time soon.
By Sam Bishop