Emergency department visits for tick bites reached their highest level in more than a decade this spring, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. As families trade swimsuits for backpacks, many assume the threat of tick bites fades with summer vacation. But health experts say that assumption could leave children at greater risk.
Many families don’t realize that the start of the school year brings some of the most common opportunities for tick exposure. Bus stops bordered by tall grass, outdoor recess, sports practices and after-school play all put children where ticks are waiting.
Shorter summer breaks and warmer temperatures in fall both contribute to the problem. This year, parents may want to add one more item to the back-to-school checklist alongside sharpened pencils and new shoes: protecting children from tick bites.
Tick bites climb during an unusually active season
Early signs point to a more active tick season in 2026 than in past years. CDC surveillance found emergency department visits for tick bites running well above seasonal averages across much of the country, with April reaching levels not seen in more than a decade.
The surge is concerning because tick bites are more than an outdoor nuisance. Depending on the species, ticks can spread illnesses ranging from Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever to ehrlichiosis. Some can also trigger alpha-gal syndrome.
The growing concern has prompted a broader federal response. In May, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced new efforts to strengthen research on tick-borne diseases, including dedicated National Institutes of Health funding for alpha-gal syndrome.
School routines don’t keep kids away from ticks
When many parents picture tick bites, they imagine wooded hiking trails or weekend camping trips. The school year tells a different story.
For many children, exposure begins before the school day starts. Waiting for the bus beside overgrown roadsides, running across dew-covered grass to soccer practice or cutting across a field on the way to class can all expose them to tick habitat. Outdoor recess, physical education classes and after-school activities create additional opportunities before they ever head home.
Morning can be especially risky because many outdoor practices begin while grass is still damp with dew, when ticks remain active and wait on low vegetation for a passing host. Pets can also carry ticks indoors after spending time outside, exposing the entire family to potential bites.
Although Lyme disease remains concentrated in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Upper Midwest, the blacklegged tick that spreads it has expanded across the eastern United States. The lone star tick, the species most often associated with alpha-gal syndrome in the U.S., is also now widely distributed across the South, Midwest and Northeast. That means more families, including many living in suburban neighborhoods, need to stay vigilant well beyond the summer months.
Lyme disease isn’t the only reason parents should worry
For many parents, Lyme disease is the first illness that comes to mind after a tick bite. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borne disease in the United States, with the CDC estimating that about 476,000 people are diagnosed and treated for it each year. But it is far from the only reason families should try to prevent tick bites.
Another growing concern is alpha-gal syndrome, a condition that can permanently change what a child can eat and, in some cases, the medications or medical products they can safely receive.
Unlike Lyme disease, alpha-gal syndrome often doesn’t become obvious until weeks or even months after the tick bite. By then, the bite itself has usually been forgotten.
Instead of developing alpha-gal allergy symptoms right away, a child may suddenly break out in hives, develop severe stomach pain or experience an allergic reaction several hours after eating beef, pork or other mammalian foods. Because the reaction is delayed, families and even healthcare providers don’t always connect the symptoms to a tick bite that happened earlier in the season.
For some people, the allergy extends beyond red meat. Dairy products, gelatin, certain medications and medical products derived from mammals can also trigger reactions. With no cure available, preventing tick bites remains the best way to reduce the risk of developing alpha-gal syndrome.
Tick prevention starts before children walk out the door
Health experts emphasize that children don’t need to avoid outdoor play. Instead, they recommend making tick prevention as routine as packing a lunch, filling a water bottle or fastening a bike helmet before heading out the door.
Protection starts before children step outside. The CDC recommends applying an EPA-registered insect repellent containing ingredients such as DEET, picaridin or IR3535 to exposed skin. Oil of lemon eucalyptus is another effective option for older children, although it should not be used on children younger than 3.
Clothing provides another layer of defense. Shoes, socks, backpacks and other gear can be treated with permethrin, an insecticide that kills ticks on contact. Parents can also purchase pretreated clothing that remains effective through multiple washes. Because permethrin is designed for clothing and equipment rather than skin, it should never be applied directly to the body.
Simple clothing choices can make a difference as well. Light-colored clothing makes crawling ticks easier to spot before they attach, while long pants tucked into socks reduce the amount of exposed skin when children are playing in grassy or wooded areas.
Once children are outside, small decisions continue to matter. Walking in the center of trails, avoiding tall grass and brush whenever possible and staying out of leaf litter can all reduce the chances of picking up a tick. The goal isn’t to avoid outdoor activities, but to make a few practical habits part of everyday routines throughout tick season.
After-school tick checks can make all the difference
Preventing tick bites does not end when children walk through the front door. A thorough tick check after outdoor activities gives parents another opportunity to remove ticks before they become firmly attached.
The CDC recommends checking the entire body, paying close attention to the scalp, behind the ears, under the arms, around the waist, inside the belly button and behind the knees. Young children may need help checking areas they cannot easily see for themselves. Bathing or showering within two hours of coming indoors helps wash away unattached ticks and allows the person to check the skin more carefully.
Clothing also deserves attention. Placing clothes in a dryer on high heat for at least 15 minutes before washing can kill ticks that may still be hiding in fabric. “Dry first, wash second,” said LeAnne Barta, co-founder and president of Indiana Lyme Connect. “Blacklegged ticks can survive a normal wash cycle. It takes just 15 minutes in a hot dryer to kill them.”
Prompt removal matters if parents find a tick. Using fine-tipped tweezers, grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure. After removing the tick, clean the bite area with soap and water or rubbing alcohol and watch for symptoms such as fever, rash or flu-like illness in the days and weeks that follow.
In areas where lone star ticks are common, parents also should watch for delayed allergic reactions after eating mammalian foods. Hives, stomach pain or other allergic symptoms that develop several hours after eating beef, pork or lamb are worth discussing with a healthcare provider, especially if a tick bite occurred earlier in the season.
Tick prevention belongs in every back-to-school routine
Parents spend weeks preparing children for a new school year, stocking backpacks, buying school supplies and organizing busy schedules. This year, health experts say one more habit deserves a place in that routine.
Tick season doesn’t end when summer vacation does. With emergency department visits for tick bites at their highest level in more than a decade and tick activity expected to remain elevated into the fall, families shouldn’t assume the risk disappears once classes begin.
A few minutes spent applying repellent before children head outside and checking for ticks when they come home may be one of the simplest additions parents make to the back-to-school routine. It could also be one of the most important.
Sage Scott is a patient advocate diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome in 2021. She shares practical guides, recipes and real-world advice for others navigating life with alpha-gal syndrome at Sage Alpha Gal.