April 19, 2026•Suffolk County Pest Control Team

Lyme Disease and Ticks in Suffolk County: What Long Island Homeowners Must Know

Suffolk County is the Lyme disease capital of New York. Deer ticks in Brookhaven, Smithtown, and Southampton are active spring through fall — here is what you need to know to protect your family.

Suffolk County Has the Highest Tick Burden in New York State

If you own a home in Suffolk County, ticks are not a hypothetical risk — they are a seasonal reality that comes with the territory. Suffolk County consistently records among the highest concentrations of Lyme disease cases in New York State, and the deer tick (black-legged tick, Ixodes scapularis) responsible for transmitting Lyme disease is endemic across the county in numbers that make exposure a genuine probability for anyone who spends time outdoors.

This is not a scare piece. It is a practical breakdown of what the tick situation actually looks like in Suffolk County, when the risk peaks, what professional tick control accomplishes, and what you can do at the property level to reduce exposure for your family.

The Ticks You Need to Know in Suffolk County

Deer Tick (Black-Legged Tick): The Primary Threat

The deer tick is the tick that matters most in Suffolk County from a health perspective. It is the only tick species in New York that transmits Lyme disease, and it is also capable of transmitting anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Powassan virus — all of which have been documented in Suffolk County patients.

Identification:

Adults: approximately the size of a sesame seed, reddish-brown body with dark dorsal shield, dark legs

Nymphs: poppy-seed sized — this is the stage responsible for the majority of Lyme transmissions because they are nearly impossible to spot before they have fed

Larvae: smaller than a pinhead, light-colored

Lifecycle and when each stage is dangerous in Suffolk County:

• Spring (April-June): Nymphs are active and highly dangerous. Nymph season coincides with peak outdoor activity. Nymphs are responsible for the majority of Lyme disease transmissions nationally because of their small size and the fact that they often feed for days before being discovered.

• Fall (October-November): Adult deer ticks are active and seeking final blood meals before winter. Adults are larger and easier to spot but still transmit disease if not removed promptly.

• Winter: Deer ticks do not die in winter. Adults remain active on mild days above approximately 35 degrees F. Long Island mild coastal winters mean tick activity can continue year-round.

Deer tick habitat in Suffolk County:

Deer ticks require humid microhabitats. They cannot survive extended exposure to low humidity and tend to concentrate in:

Leaf litter at woodland edges and along fence lines

Ornamental plantings adjacent to wooded areas

Dense groundcover (pachysandra, English ivy, vinca) under trees

Unmaintained grass and brush adjacent to maintained lawns

Wood piles stored against the house

Stone walls with leaf accumulation

The transition zone between a maintained lawn and woods, overgrown brush, or dense plantings is where tick exposure is highest. Suffolk County heavily wooded residential lots in Brookhaven, Smithtown, Huntington, Southampton, and East Hampton put a significant percentage of homes in direct contact with prime tick habitat.

American Dog Tick: The Most Visible Tick

The American dog tick is larger and more commonly noticed than the deer tick. It does not transmit Lyme disease but is capable of transmitting Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia. It is commonly found on dogs and can bite humans, particularly in grassy areas and along paths through tall vegetation.

American dog ticks are active primarily from spring through early summer in Suffolk County and are more commonly encountered in open grassy areas and along paths rather than in wooded margins.

Lone Star Tick: Increasingly Common on Long Island

The lone star tick has expanded its range northward and is now regularly documented in Suffolk County, particularly in the eastern portions of the county. It is an aggressive biter and is associated with ehrlichiosis, tularemia, and alpha-gal syndrome, a red meat allergy that develops following a bite from this species.

Lone star ticks are active spring through fall and are commonly found in areas with deer and other wildlife — exactly the habitat profile of much of eastern Suffolk County.

Lyme Disease in Suffolk County

Suffolk County is consistently among the top counties in New York for Lyme disease incidence. The connection to residential property is direct. The majority of Lyme disease exposures in Suffolk County occur on or immediately adjacent to the infected person own property — not on hiking trails or in state parks, but in backyards, near woodpiles, and along property edges.

What a Professional Tick Treatment Does

A professional tick barrier treatment for a Suffolk County property focuses on the areas where ticks actually live and wait for hosts — not the open lawn area, where tick exposure is minimal, but the habitat margins, groundcover beds, and transition zones where ticks concentrate.

How a barrier treatment works:

A low-toxicity residual insecticide is applied to tick habitat areas, including:

The lawn perimeter adjacent to wooded areas, fence lines, and dense plantings

Under shrubs, ornamental beds, and groundcover

Along foundation plantings

Wood piles and debris areas

The application kills ticks present at the time of treatment and provides residual activity — ticks that move through treated zones during the active period are also killed.

Timing and frequency:

A spring application in April or May targets nymphs before their peak activity period

A fall application in September or October targets adult deer ticks before their fall activity peak

Two applications per season are the standard recommendation for properties with significant tick habitat

Property-Level Tick Risk Reduction

Keep lawn grass mowed regularly

Remove leaf litter from beds adjacent to the house each fall

Create a 3-foot-wide barrier of mulch or gravel between lawn and wooded areas

Stack wood piles away from the house and off the ground

Clear brush and overgrown vegetation from the property perimeter

Remove old furniture and debris where ticks can hide

Personal Protection for Suffolk County Residents

Apply EPA-registered tick repellent (DEET 20 percent or higher, or permethrin-treated clothing) when working in high-risk areas

Do a full-body tick check after any time in tick habitat — including your own backyard

Check children and pets coming in from outdoor play in tick-prone areas

Shower within two hours of outdoor activity in tick habitat

Put clothes from tick-prone areas directly in the dryer on high heat for 10 minutes before washing to kill ticks

Call for Tick Control in Suffolk County

Suffolk County Pest Control provides professional tick barrier treatments across all 10 Suffolk County towns: Babylon, Brookhaven, East Hampton, Huntington, Islip, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Smithtown, Southampton, and Southold.

Call (631) 894-9702 for a free tick assessment and treatment quote. We evaluate your property specific risk profile and recommend a treatment plan designed for your yard.