US health authorities say emergency room visits for tick bites have hit their highest level in nearly a decade — and experts warn 2026 could be one of the worst tick seasons on record. The same warmer-weather trends driving that surge apply here too, which makes now the right time for Australian households to get ahead of their own tick season.

What the CDC Is Reporting in the US

In an April 2026 statement, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that in every region of the country except the South Central US, weekly rates of emergency room visits for tick bites are the highest for this time of year since 2017.

Multiple US outlets reporting on CDC’s Tick Bite Tracker data — including TODAY — found that in April 2026, roughly 104 to 105 out of every 100,000 US emergency department visits were tick-bite related, up from around 68 per 100,000 in April 2025 — nearly double year-on-year. Tick activity also started ramping up earlier than usual, in February and March, suggesting a longer season overall. The CDC estimates around 31 million people are bitten by ticks in the US every year.

To be clear, these figures describe the United States, not Australia. But researchers point to the same driver behind the US surge — warmer temperatures extending tick activity periods — that also applies to Australian conditions.

Why This Matters for Australian Homes Too

Australia isn’t tracked by the CDC, and our tick species, tick-borne risks and seasonal patterns are different from the US. But the underlying trend — warmer temperatures giving ticks a longer active season — is a shared one. When a leading health agency flags an early, extended tick season driven by climate trends, it’s a reasonable prompt to check your own property is ready before local tick activity ramps up, rather than waiting until you or a pet is bitten.

When Does Tick Season Actually Peak in Australia?

Unlike the CDC’s national tracker, Australia doesn’t have a single equivalent early-warning figure, but the general seasonal pattern is well documented. Ticks are present at some life stage along the east coast for much of the year: juvenile ticks are most numerous in autumn, nymphs peak through winter, and adult ticks — the stage most likely to bite people and pets — peak through spring and summer, roughly from August/September through to February/March, varying by region.

The Eastern paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus), Australia’s main tick of concern, is found along the east coast from north Queensland, through NSW, and into northern Victoria.

What Australian Ticks Actually Put You At Risk Of

Tick-borne risk in Australia looks different from the US. Lyme disease, a major concern in the American context, has not been confirmed as locally transmitted by Australian health authorities and remains a debated topic — it isn’t the relevant risk here. The tick-related issues that are well established in Australia include:

• Tick paralysis — a potentially serious toxin-driven reaction, especially dangerous for pets and young children
• Mammalian meat allergy (alpha-gal syndrome) — an allergic reaction to red meat that some people develop after a tick bite
• Tick typhus — a bacterial infection transmitted by tick bite

Whatever the specific risk, avoiding tick bites in the first place remains the most effective protection against all of them.

Tick Season Checklist for Your Property

A few practical steps before peak season can make a real difference:

• Mow lawns regularly and clear long grass, leaf litter and dense garden undergrowth where ticks shelter
• Trim back vegetation along fence lines, bushland edges and garden borders
• Keep woodpiles, garden waste and clutter away from areas where children and pets play
• Check and treat pets regularly, since they can carry ticks into the home
• Do a thorough tick check on family members and pets after time outdoors
• Book a professional property treatment before tick numbers peak, rather than after a bite happens

Personal precautions help, but ticks live and breed in garden vegetation — which is why treating the property itself, ahead of peak season, is the most effective way to cut tick numbers before they become a problem. See our Tick Bite First Aid guide, Learn About Ticks resource, and service areas to check coverage near you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the CDC’s tick data relevant to Australia?

Not directly — it’s US data on US tick species and US-specific diseases like Lyme disease. What is relevant is the shared driver: warmer temperatures extending tick activity, which is also a factor in Australian tick seasons.

When should I treat my property for ticks?

You can start at any time of year, since ticks are present at some life stage year-round in parts of the east coast. Treating before adult ticks peak in spring and summer gives the best head start.

Does Australia have Lyme disease?

Local transmission of Lyme disease has not been confirmed by Australian health authorities and remains a debated topic. The established Australian tick risks are tick paralysis, mammalian meat allergy (alpha-gal syndrome) and tick typhus.

Which tick should I be most concerned about in Australia?

The Eastern paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus), found along the east coast from north Queensland to northern Victoria.