Tick Season Is Over? Think Again
ESTIMATED READ TIME: 4–5 MINSIt's a common misconception that the risk for tick bites ends once summer winds down. Unfortunately, that's not true.
Ticks are most prevalent during the spring and early summer, but many species remain active well into the fall. As long as green leaves are on trees, there's still a risk. In some parts of the country, they can even survive through mild winters whenever temperatures climb above freezing.
Beyond the nuisance of an itchy bite, ticks can transmit illnesses, including ehrlichiosis, babesiosis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Powassan virus, and of course, Lyme disease.
To keep yourself and your family safe from potentially dangerous ticks—such as the blacklegged tick, which carries Lyme, or the Lone Star tick, which is linked to alpha-gal syndrome—treat tick prevention as a year-round habit rather than just a seasonal one.
Below, I share practical steps you can take to reduce your risk of tick bites and support your immune system, so you're better able to handle bites when they do happen.
1. Make Yourself Less Appealing to Ticks
The first line of defense is preventing ticks from attaching to your skin in the first place.
You're most likely to encounter ticks in wooded areas, tall grass, brush, leaf litter, and overgrown trails. Ticks don't jump or fly; they wait on plants or grass and then latch onto people or animals as they brush past. They can even catch on your clothes and then be brought into your home.
Whenever you're hiking, working outdoors, or spending time in tall grass or wooded areas, I recommend protecting yourself by:
Checking children and pets carefully after they've been outside
Wearing long sleeves and long pants whenever practical
Washing clothes you’ve worn in high-risk areas
Tucking pant legs into socks to keep ticks from reaching your skin
Staying on cleared trails whenever possible rather than in areas with tall grass
Showering within two hours of coming indoors
Performing a thorough tick check, especially behind the knees, under the arms, around the waist, in the hairline, and behind the ears
Keep in mind that the sooner a tick is removed, the lower the risk of transmitting many tick-borne infections, which means you want to do tick checks nightly and act right away if you do see something suspicious.
In general, an infected blacklegged (deer) tick usually must remain attached to your skin for at least 24 hours before transmitting the bacteria that cause Lyme disease—which means if you act fast, you'll likely be safe.
2. Use Natural Tick Repellents
Most conventional insect repellents contain DEET (N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), a synthetic chemical made to repel mosquitoes, ticks, and other insects that bite.
Regulatory agencies consider DEET to be safe "when used as directed," but some evidence shows otherwise, which is why many prefer to minimize their exposure. Some research has linked frequent or prolonged exposure to skin irritation and raised questions about potential neurological effects with high-dose use.
Rather than slathering on chemicals, I suggest making a homemade bug spray with natural ingredients that not only help repel ticks and mosquitoes but also nourish your skin.
For instance, witch hazel helps soothe and protect the skin, apple cider vinegar supports the skin's natural pH, and essential oils discourage ticks and other insects from landing on your skin.
When spending time outdoors around tall grass and trees, you can apply coconut oil to your body and/or spray a mixture of water and strong-smelling essential oils (like mints, eucalyptus, holy basil, and rosemary) to ward off bugs. Here's an example of an easy bug spray recipe to try.
Homemade Natural Bug Spray:
Ingredients
½ cup witch hazel
½ cup apple cider vinegar
40 drops total of essential oils, using a combination of eucalyptus, lemongrass, citronella, tea tree, and rosemary
One 8-ounce glass spray bottle
Directions: Combine all the ingredients in the spray bottle and shake well before each use. Spray exposed skin and clothing, avoiding your eyes and mouth.
3. Support Your Immune System
No supplement can guarantee protection from tick-borne illness, but maintaining a healthy immune system gives your body the resources it needs to respond appropriately to infections.
Some of my favorite immune-supporting habits include:
Eating a nutrient-dense diet rich in colorful fruits and vegetables.
Prioritizing high-quality protein to support immune cell production.
Spending time in the sunshine to maintain healthy vitamin D levels.
Getting seven to nine hours of restorative sleep each night.
Exercising regularly without overtraining.
Managing stress through prayer, gratitude, and meaningful relationships.
Certain supplements may also help support healthy immune function, including:
Vitamin D, particularly for those with low blood levels due to limited sun exposure, which may help support a healthy response to tick bites
Vitamin C to support normal immune cell activity, including in response to tick-borne illnesses
Zinc, an essential mineral involved in hundreds of immune-related processes
Probiotics to help maintain a balanced gut microbiome, where much of the immune system resides
Medicinal mushrooms such as reishi and turkey tail, which have long histories of supporting healthy immune function
Oil of oregano, which studies suggest may have natural protective effects against bacteria that cause tick-borne infections (including Borrelia burgdorferi, which causes Lyme disease)
Adaptogenic herbs like astragalus and elderberry, which many herbalists use to promote immune resilience. (These may not be appropriate during an active infection or for everyone, so it's wise to discuss them with your healthcare provider.)
4. Know the Signs of Alpha-Gal Syndrome
One of the most unusual tick-related illnesses is alpha-gal syndrome, which, unlike Lyme disease, isn't caused by bacteria or a virus.
Instead, certain ticks—most notably the Lone Star tick—can trigger an allergic response to a sugar molecule called alpha-gal that's found in beef, pork, lamb, venison, and many other mammalian products. For some people, eating red meat hours after a tick bite can suddenly cause symptoms like:
Hives or itching
Swelling
Stomach pain
Nausea or diarrhea
Difficulty breathing
In severe cases, anaphylaxis (a serious allergic reaction)
The CDC estimates that as many as 450,000 people in the United States may be affected, although many cases are thought to go undiagnosed because symptoms can be delayed or mistaken for food intolerance or other allergies.
Because symptoms can appear three to six hours after eating, many people don't immediately connect them to their meal. If you develop these symptoms after a tick bite, speak with your healthcare provider. A blood test can often help confirm the diagnosis.
Living With Alpha-Gal Syndrome:
There's currently no cure for alpha-gal syndrome, but many people improve over time if they avoid additional tick bites and adjust their diets to reduce symptoms. For example, most people with alpha-gal syndrome continue to tolerate poultry, fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and plant foods without difficulty.
The most important steps in managing the condition include:
Avoiding beef, pork, lamb, venison, and other mammalian meats if they trigger symptoms.
Reading ingredient labels carefully, since gelatin and certain food additives may also contain alpha-gal.
Continuing to prevent future tick bites, as additional bites may worsen or prolong the allergy.
Supporting your immune system with helpful foods, habits, and supplements.
Working with an allergist or knowledgeable healthcare provider to identify your personal triggers.
The Bottom Line: Prevention Is Your Best Protection
The majority of tick bites never lead to serious illnesses. But because tick-borne diseases can sometimes have lasting consequences, prevention is easier than treatment.
Spend time outdoors hiking, working in your garden, and playing with your kids and pets. Just take a few extra precautions before you head outside and make checking for ticks part of your routine when you come home.
Healthy living isn't about living in fear of nature. It's about wisely caring for the incredible body God has given us while enjoying the world He created.
References:
https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/causes/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/alpha-gal-syndrome/about/index.html
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/zph.12984
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31069958/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK592106/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41385098/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10384908/** (good source for herbs)
