Do You Still Need to Worry About Ticks in the Winter? (YES)

February 6, 2026

https://www.southernliving.com/are-ticks-dormant-in-winter

Do You Still Need To Worry About Ticks In The Winter?

Here’s what to know about these parasites.
By Arricca Elin SanSone
Published on February 1, 2026
A close-up shows a tick moving across light-colored pants,
Credit: Getty Images

You typically don’t encounter as many insects while you’re outdoors in winter as you do the rest of the year. But that doesn’t mean everything  that bites is hunkered down until spring. “Many tick species will have adults active during the winter months,” says Sonja L, Swiger, PhD, professor, medical entomologist and extension specialist with Texas A&M AgriLife. “Since ticks are blood feeders, they do quite well throughout the winter months because they are on a host.”

Of course, ticks don’t just bite; they also carry diseases that make people and pets sick. “The most commonly encountered tickborne pathogen in the Southeast is Rocky Mountain spotted fever,” says Swiger. But Lyme disease is also a threat, though it’s not transmitted at the same rate as it is in places such as the Northeast. Other diseases that ticks can pass to people and pets include ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis.

In addition, if you think a cold or snowy winter will knock down ticks, that’s just wishful thinking. Harsh weather doesn’t really impact the tick population as a whole. “Ticks have been around for millions of years and are very good at what they do. They know how to survive,” says Eric Benson, PhD, professor emeritus and extension entomologist with  Clemson University. “During winter, many species of ticks go into diapause, a state when they reduce their metabolism to conserve energy to survive.”

 Here’s what else you should know about ticks in winter:  (See link for article)

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**Comment**

Great reminder to stay vigilant.

The article points out what this website has been publishing for years: ticks are marvelously ecoadaptive and will simply hide under leaf litter or snow when weather becomes harsh. This also proves that the climate and/or ‘climate change‘ has nothing to do with tick survival and disease propagation.  They are simply built to survive.  About the only thing they can’t handle is fire!

The article then lists ways to prevent tick bites.  Go here for a multi-pronged approach.  Pet owners have nearly two times the risk of finding ticks, so multiple areas need to be addressed.

For more:

More on the ‘climate change’ agenda:

Category:

Anaplasmosis, Climate, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme, Prevention, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Ticks

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