© 2026 ABC News

To help prevent a tick from biting, the experts ABC News spoke with recommended avoiding going into tick habitats and staying on paths while hiking. You can wear light-colored clothing to better detect a tick crawling on you and spray your clothes with tick repellants.

Taking a shower when you get home and conducting regular tick checks over the next few days is also key. The tick needs to be attached for 36 to 48 hours or more before the Lyme disease bacterium can be transmitted. Dog owners should also check their pets daily.

If you find a tick crawling on or attached to you, you can save it or take a picture to help identify it. The size of the tick can also help determine how long it fed on you.

\"We want people to enjoy the outdoors,\" Diuk-Wasser said. \"But of course you have to be aware.\"

","canonicalUrl":"https://abcnews.com/US/tick-season-bad-protect/story?id=78320784","legacySlug":"/news/story/tick-season-bad-protect-78320784","noIndexNoFollow":false},"publishTime":"15:33","publishDate":"06-19-2021","updatedTime":"21:33","updatedDate":"06-20-2021","socialImage":{"alt":"Blacklegged tick, Ixodes pacificus, on a leaf, is a carrier of Lyme disease.","credit":"Getty Images","ratio":"16x9","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/US/black-legged-tick-gty-rc-210617_1623934767027_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg","width":992,"height":558},"datePublished":"6/19/2021 15:33:00 GMT","video":{"live":false,"id":78320784,"headline":"Why this tick season may be bad","mediaAssetTitle":"TICK SEASON","description":"It's peak season for the miniscule nymphal ticks. ","duration":"1:14","posterImg":{"url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","width":608,"height":342},"video":{"feed":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2021/06/210619_vod_tick_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8"},"playlist":["136522197","136167797","136138471"]},"relatedItems":[{"contentType":"video","date":"September 17, 2026","headline":"Travis Kelce victimized by Ponzi scheme, prosecutor says","section":"News","slug":"/video/136522197","id":"136522197","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Travis Kelce victimized by Ponzi scheme, prosecutor says","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Travis Kelce victimized by Ponzi scheme, prosecutor says","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260917_gma_katersky1_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"September 3, 2026","headline":"Staffer injured, gunman dead in shooting at VA elementary school ","section":"News","slug":"/video/136167797","id":"136167797","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: Thomas VA. Shooting","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260903_gma_thomas_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: Thomas VA. Shooting","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260903_gma_thomas_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260903_gma_thomas_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260903_gma_thomas_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260903_gma_thomas_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260903_gma_thomas_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260903_gma_thomas_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260903_gma_thomas_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260903_gma_thomas_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260903_gma_thomas_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}},{"contentType":"video","date":"September 2, 2026","headline":"US launches new strikes on Iran amid gas price crunch for Labor Day","section":"News","slug":"/video/136138471","id":"136138471","image":{"alt":"VIDEO: US launches new strikes on Iran amid gas price crunch for Labor Day","credit":"ABCNews.com","ratio":"1x1","url":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260902_gma_bruce_iran3_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","width":384,"height":384},"images":{"alt":"VIDEO: US launches new strikes on Iran amid gas price crunch for Labor Day","credit":"ABCNews.com","crops":[{"16x9":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260902_gma_bruce_iran3_706_hpMain_16x9_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260902_gma_bruce_iran3_706_hpMain_16x9_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260902_gma_bruce_iran3_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"9x16":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260902_gma_bruce_iran3_706_hpMain_9x16_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260902_gma_bruce_iran3_706_hpMain_9x16_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260902_gma_bruce_iran3_706_hpMain_16x9_1600.jpg"}},{"1x1":{"small":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260902_gma_bruce_iran3_706_hpMain_1x1_608.jpg","medium":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260902_gma_bruce_iran3_706_hpMain_1x1_992.jpg","large":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/260902_gma_bruce_iran3_706_hpMain_1x1_1600.jpg"}}]}}],"relatedContentSection":"news","schemaContent":{"name":"Why this tick season may be bad","description":"It's peak season for the miniscule nymphal ticks. ","duration":"1:14","uploadDate":"06-19-2021","publication":"06-19-2021","images":"https://s.abcnews.com/images/GMA/default-img-undefined.png","url":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2021/06/210619_vod_tick_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","contentUrl":"https://service-pkgabcnews.akamaized.net/opp/hls/abcnews/2021/06/210619_vod_tick_,500,800,1200,1800,2500,3200,4500,.mp4.csmil/playlist.m3u8","link":"https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/news/story/tick-season-bad-protect-78320784"}},"playlist":[{"id":"136553132","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136553226","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136557362","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136480407","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136499152","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136340119","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136351654","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136345786","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136309285","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136312798","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136301180","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136298965","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136281904","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136272199","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136258585","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136253720","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136206646","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136207221","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136153308","contentType":"story","section":"news"},{"id":"136187449","contentType":"story","section":"news"}],"kvps":{"pgtyp":"article","lang":"en","sp":"goodmorningamerica","programmatic":"true","bundleId":"com.abcnews"}},"analytics":{"accountID":"wdgnewwdgnewgmaweb","ns":"gma","pageName":"gma:news:video","pageType":"video","globalSpecVersion":"v1.08","siteDifferentiator":"gma:site","tagID":"g_page01","userABCookie":"0","section":"news","title":"Why this tick season may be bad","pubTime":"11:33","pubDate":"06-19-2021","modTime":"17:33","modDate":"06-20-2021","taxonomyTags":"none","id":78320784,"editorialOtherSubjects":"","wordCount":"none","columns":"none","authors":"","authorsUnit":"none","authorsBureau":"none","subBrand":"Good Morning America","provider":"Good Morning America","videoName":"Why this tick season may be bad","mediaAssetTitle":"TICK SEASON","videoId":78320784,"mediaOnPage":"video","legacySlug":"/news/story/tick-season-bad-protect-78320784"},"taboola":{}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/video/78320784","vary":{"host":"www.goodmorningamerica.com","cached":true,"path":"/video/78320784","forwarded-proto":"https","device":"desktop","userab":"0"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0},"user":{}};