We are not quite half-way through 2020, and while the story of the year is still being written, one thing is for sure.  There will be more ticks this year.

The 2020 tick forecast is whether it’s cloudy or sunny, there will be a great chance for ticks.  For quite a few years now, the United States has seen increases in tick populations everywhere.  Not only are populations exploding, but ticks are expanding to areas, where they have not been before.

Ticks are no longer seasonal pests.

“Tick season is pretty much every season,” says tick expert, Dr. Thomas Mathers.  Ticks are more active in the springtime, summertime, and fall.  However, ticks can be, and are on the move in the winter too.  This is due in large part to warm weather trends resulting from climate change.  What’s more, ticks thrive in wet weather, so rainier seasons will mean more ticks.

More ticks in 2020 means more tick-borne illnesses.

If Central Mass ticks were just a nuisance insect, the news of more ticks in 2020 wouldn’t mean that much.  As most Central Massachusetts residents are aware, ticks are not just pests.  They are very dangerous, and can even be deadly.  With predictions for warmer, wetter weather in 2020, in almost all U.S. regions, we can expect to see Lyme disease on the rise.  Other diseases, which were very rare, or never seen before, are also rearing their ugly heads.  In recent years, we have become very aware of Powassan virus in Massachusetts, as well as other areas in the United States.  The CDC reports only six cases in the United States in 2006.  While in 2017 and 2018, there were 33 and 21 cases, respectively.

More ticks in 2020 means more tick control.

To protect your home and family from ticks and the nasty diseases they carry, Central Mass tick control is a must.  Professional tick control companies will offer solutions for eliminating up to 95% of ticks from your yard.  With a professionally-applied tick barrier spray, you can enjoy the spaces outside your home more fully.  Regular tick control sprays should be applied every few weeks for optimum protection against bites from infected ticks.  EPA-registered sprays will eliminate ticks on contact, and continue working for about three weeks.

In the and winter, you can extend your tick control efforts with tick tubes, which will ensure that tick populations in your yard are easier to control next year.  Tick tubes break the tick life cycle by eliminating ticks where they nest during cool weather, disallowing future reproduction.

With the health crisis we are seeing in 2020, the last thing we need is Lyme disease or other tick-borne illnesses.  Protect your home.  Protect your family.  Protect your pets.  Hire a reputable tick control company for year-long tick protection at home.

If you are leaving home for the great outdoors, make a tick kit!

Also read: How do I rid my yard of ticks?