Why Grand Rapids Is Expecting An Exceptionally Bad Tick Season

Over Easter weekend, I celebrated with my girlfriend's family. Easter has always been an unofficial indicator of spring for me, but this year it was for an entirely different reason when I got this text:

"Hey, [blank] found a tick on them when they got home. Might want to do a quick inspection before you go to bed"

A tick...in the first weekend of April. I couldn't believe my ears, but sure enough, those pesky bugs had already re-emerged from their winter slumbers and were already causing problems. But this is just the beginning. Tick season got started early this year, and according to recent reports, it's going to be another bad tick season here.

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United States Tick Season Predictions 2026

Once it's warm, ticks come back out. Since it got hot early this year, ticks came back early, too. As a result, TIME is claiming this summer could be one of the worst seasons in memory, in large part because climate change is keeping the environment warm and ripe for tick breeding.

READ MORE: Ticks Are Here In Michigan - What To Watch For

Unfortunately, it looks like TIME may be on to something. MyWild, a real-time tick activity tracker and forecaster, has seen a 15-20% increase in tick activity over recent years, and currently, 19 states are in "very high risk" zones, with the Northeast the worst region of all.

Grand Rapids' Tick Risk

The Midwest, including Michigan, is at moderate-to-high risk. However, come May, Grand Rapids' tick risk is expected to be at a "high" level for much of the month, then drop to moderate until July. If the weather stays warm, there is a good chance it will go to "very high".

Deer Ticks are the most common tick in Grand Rapids and are known for carrying Lyme Disease. For tips on where ticks are typically found, how to avoid them, and what to do if you're bitten, check out our tick information guide, or view some tips below.