CT Scientists Warn of Alarming Early Tick Activity in 2026
Connecticut researchers logged over 100 tick submissions in a single day in early April, with Lyme disease rates hitting 40%—well above the historical average.
Tick season arrived early this spring, and Connecticut scientists say the numbers are alarming.
Researchers at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station logged more than 100 tick submissions in a single day earlier this month, a threshold that typically signals peak activity. The problem: peak season doesn’t usually arrive until May, June, October, or November. We’re barely into April.
“This time of the year, considering this is just the beginning of higher tick activity and we haven’t reached the peak, this number is quite disconcerting,” said Dr. Goudarz Molaei, a research scientist and medical entomologist who runs the Experiment Station’s Tick Testing Program.
Not great.
A Cold Winter Didn’t Help
Many Connecticut residents probably assumed last winter’s cold snaps would knock back tick populations. Reasonable assumption. Wrong.
“Despite our expectation, or public expectation, that the past rather cold winter would put some dent on tick populations, we are not seeing that,” Molaei said. The Experiment Station receives ticks found attached to Connecticut residents and submitted through local health departments, then tests them for pathogens. The service is free.
What’s making this year worse isn’t just the volume of ticks. It’s what those ticks are carrying. Molaei said samples are testing positive for Lyme disease at a rate of 40%, compared to a historical average of roughly 32% over the past two decades. That’s a meaningful jump, and it means a tick bite carries a higher-than-usual chance of transmitting the disease.
Lyme disease, caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and spread primarily by black-legged deer ticks, is already endemic across Connecticut. Fairfield County consistently ranks among the highest-burden areas in the country. A jump in infection prevalence in the ticks themselves compounds the risk for anyone spending time outside.
Invasive Species Moving In
The dominant species in Connecticut remain the black-legged deer tick and the American dog tick. But Molaei flagged something that should get Fairfield and New Haven County residents paying closer attention: invasive species are showing up with more regularity.
Lone star ticks, Gulf Coast ticks, and longhorned ticks are all present in Connecticut, particularly along the coast. “These ticks are capable of transmitting their own suite of pathogens,” Molaei said. Lone star ticks, for instance, have been linked to alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy triggered by a tick bite. That’s a relatively new concern and one that most people haven’t heard of yet.
Molaei pointed to climate change as the driver behind both the earlier onset of tick activity and the spread of invasive species. “Temperature, humidity, vegetation, habitat type: all of these are changing as the result of climate change,” he said. “We do see the impact of, or influence of, all these factors in tick population, and, further, in the prevalence of infection.”
The thing is, this isn’t a one-bad-year problem. The trajectory points toward longer, more intense tick seasons becoming the new baseline.
What You Should Do Right Now
Dr. Jason White, director of the Experiment Station, said the protective measures haven’t changed, but the urgency has.
“Using tick repellents when hiking or camping and conducting tick checks remain the best ways to reduce the risk of contracting tick-borne diseases,” White said. That means full-body checks after any time outdoors, including your own backyard if you live near wooded or brushy areas. Fairfield County’s mix of suburban lots and preserved open space makes it ideal tick habitat.
White also encouraged residents to take advantage of the Experiment Station’s free testing program. “Connecticut residents are also encouraged to submit ticks they have removed from their bodies to our laboratory for species identification and testing,” he said. “This allows them to make informed decisions concerning diagnosis and treatment in consultation with their healthcare providers.”
You can submit through your local health department. Given the elevated Lyme infection rates Molaei’s lab is tracking, knowing what species bit you and whether it tested positive isn’t just useful. It could shape the treatment conversation you have with your doctor.
The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station’s Tick Testing Program has operated for years as a quiet but essential public health resource. This spring, it matters more than usual.
Additional reporting from CT Mirror informed this story.
Watch for updates from the Experiment Station through the late spring months as the program continues tracking whether submissions climb further past that 100-per-day benchmark.