Tick Activity Is Rising in New Jersey — Why Yard Treatments Matter More Than Ever

If it feels like ticks are everywhere this year, you’re not imagining it.

According to recent CDC data and national reporting, emergency room visits related to tick bites are currently at their highest levels for this time of year since 2017, with the Northeast seeing the most significant spike in activity. (Wausau Pilot & Review)

And here in New Jersey, that matters.

New Jersey consistently ranks among the states with the highest rates of Lyme disease, and our climate, wooded neighborhoods, dense deer populations, and suburban landscapes create ideal conditions for ticks to thrive. (A+ Urgent Care)

Why Ticks Are Such a Concern in New Jersey

Ticks are more than just a nuisance. They can carry and transmit serious illnesses including:

• Lyme disease
• Anaplasmosis
• Babesiosis
• Ehrlichiosis
• Rocky Mountain spotted fever
• Alpha-gal syndrome

The blacklegged tick — commonly known as the deer tick — is especially prevalent throughout New Jersey and is the primary carrier of Lyme disease.

What makes ticks especially difficult is that many bites go unnoticed due to their extremely small size. In many cases, people do not realize they have been bitten until symptoms begin appearing days or weeks later.

Your Yard May Be the Biggest Risk Area

Many homeowners assume tick exposure only happens while hiking or spending time deep in wooded areas. In reality, research shows many tick encounters happen close to home — during:

• yard work,
• gardening,
• playing outside,
• walking pets,
• or simply spending time in the backyard.

Ticks thrive in:

• shaded landscaping,
• mulch beds,
• wooded perimeters,
• overgrown vegetation,
• stone walls,
• leaf litter,
• and areas frequented by deer or rodents.

In a state like New Jersey — where neighborhoods often back up to wooded areas — ticks can easily migrate into family living spaces.

Why Professional Yard Treatments Matter

While personal protection measures like repellents and tick checks are important, they only address the problem after exposure risk already exists.

Professional yard treatments help reduce tick activity where your family actually spends time.

At Horizon Pest Control, our Yard Guard programs are designed to target ticks and mosquitoes in the areas they live and harbor around your property. Strategic applications focus on high-risk areas including:

• perimeter vegetation,
• shaded edges,
• wooded transitions,
• ornamental landscaping,
• and other common tick habitats.

The goal is not simply comfort — it is helping reduce exposure risk around your home and outdoor living spaces.

Protecting the Ones You Love Starts Outside

As tick populations continue to rise across the Northeast, proactive prevention becomes increasingly important — especially for families with:

• children,
• pets,
• outdoor entertaining areas,
• wooded properties,
• or active outdoor lifestyles.

The CDC continues to emphasize prevention as the best defense against tick-borne illness. (CDC)

Reducing tick pressure around your property is one of the most effective ways to help protect your family before exposure happens.

If you’d like to learn more about Horizon’s tick and mosquito protection services, visit:
Tick & Mosquito Protection Services