While we are enjoying the warmer, longer days, increasing our outdoor activities, and adventuring into nature, ticks are waiting for an opportunity to make a meal out of us, our families, and our dogs!

Most of us have encountered ticks or Lyme Disease in some fashion. Either we have seen a tick, know what a tick is, have had a tick bite, have had Lyme disease, our dog has had Lyme disease, or we know someone or someone’s dog who has had Lyme Disease. The truth is that Lyme is an endemic infection, with nearly 476,000 cases of Lyme disease diagnosed in the US each year. So, if you haven’t yet encountered a tick or the diseases they carry….you could in the future. Let’s review some tick bite prevention strategies and how to best prevent tick-borne illnesses.

Map of Lyme disease cases in the US, 2022 

Why do we need to prevent tick bites?

Ticks carry bacteria that can be passed to humans when they bite and feed on...