When September arrives, many families in the United States head outdoors to rake leaves, trim overgrown gardens and clear brush. While these tasks are essential for maintaining tidy yards, they also place people directly into the grassy, brushy and wooded areas where ticks thrive.

Ticks remain active through the fall

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that tick exposure can occur year‑round, with the highest activity from April through September. However, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) also identifies spring, summer and fall as active periods for ticks across the country. This means September is a transition month for people, but not necessarily for ticks.

CDC data for 2026 show weekly emergency‑department visits for tick bites have been higher than usual, even as the typical summer peak begins to wane. In many regions, newly hatched lone‑star tick larvae emerge from August into early October, according to Sam Telford III, Ph.D., professor of infectious disease and global health at Tufts University. A single female can lay 3,500 to 5,000 eggs, and the resulting larvae often cluster together—a phenomenon Telford calls a “tick bomb,” capable of transferring hundreds of ticks to a passing animal or person.

Why fall chores increase risk

NIOSH identifies woods, bushes, tall grass and leaf litter as prime tick habitat. The CDC warns that gardening and spending time in these environments can bring people into contact with ticks, sometimes without leaving their own property. Raking leaf piles, cutting back overgrown gardens and clearing brush all require reaching into vegetation where ticks wait.

Research shows that well‑maintained lawns away from brushy edges host fewer black‑legged ticks. The CDC recommends creating a three‑foot‑wide barrier of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to discourage tick contact. As black‑legged and lone‑star ticks expand into new regions, these simple barriers become increasingly valuable.

Health consequences beyond Lyme disease

Lyme disease remains the most recognized tick‑borne illness in the United States. Early treatment with a ten‑ to fourteen‑day course of antibiotics usually leads to rapid recovery, though some patients experience lingering symptoms. More serious is alpha‑gal syndrome, a potentially life‑threatening allergy triggered by tick bites. Those affected may react to mammalian meat and other products containing the sugar alpha‑gal. Unlike Lyme disease, there is currently no cure for alpha‑gal syndrome; management focuses on avoidance of triggers and preparedness for severe allergic reactions.

Other tick species can transmit bacterial, viral and parasitic illnesses, reinforcing the importance of prevention as the first line of defense.

How fall cleanup can both expose and protect

While cleaning up leaves and overgrowth may temporarily increase exposure, the same activities can reduce tick habitat over time. The CDC advises removing leaf litter, clearing tall grass and brush around homes, and mowing regularly. Trimming trees and shrubs to let sunlight reach the ground also makes the environment less hospitable to ticks.

Research cited by Joellen Lampman, Tick and School IPM coordinator with Cornell Integrated Pest Management, indicates that artificially raking or blowing leaves into a woodland edge can triple the number of black‑legged ticks. Instead, homeowners should either remove leaves from the property entirely or relocate them to an open, lightly used area away from woods. For those who wish to support pollinators, leaving rarely visited areas untouched is acceptable, provided leaves are not deliberately piled there unless they are part of a compost system.

Personal protection while you work

Because yard work cannot eliminate every tick encounter, personal protection remains essential. The CDC recommends EPA‑registered insect repellents and clothing or gear treated with 0.5% permethrin when spending time in tick‑prone areas. Wearing long pants, long sleeves and covered footwear reduces exposed skin.

After the work is done, Telford advises continuing to use repellent‑treated clothing “until the first frost,” as adult black‑legged ticks may remain active in colder months. He also suggests nightly tick checks and prompt removal of any attached ticks.

Ticks can hitch a ride indoors on clothing, gear and pets—a risk Telford says is “very much underestimated.” The CDC recommends showering soon after returning indoors, checking clothing, gear and pets, and conducting a full‑body tick inspection. Areas such as the waist, hair, ears, knees, underarms and between the legs deserve particular attention. Clothing can be placed in a dryer on high heat to kill any hitchhiking ticks.

Spraying alone is insufficient

Pesticide applications can reduce tick numbers in treated zones, but the CDC cautions against relying on spraying as the sole strategy. Treating only one part of a property does not eliminate all potential tick habitats.

The most effective fall tick‑prevention plan combines habitat reduction, barrier creation, personal protective measures and diligent post‑work checks. By integrating these steps, homeowners can enjoy a tidy yard while safeguarding their families from tick‑borne illnesses.

Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.