Experts say the increases are driven by warmer temperatures due to climate change and the expanding presence of ticks in more areas in the U.S. and Canada — including places where people are less familiar with the risks and how to prevent disease.

Another mild winter and other favorable factors likely means the 2024 tick population will be equal to last year or larger, some researchers say.

Researchers at Lincoln Park Zoo are surveying which ticks are present in the Chicago region, looking for clues about the effects of climate change and urban sprawl, and busting myths in the process.

Ticks are so good at transmitting potentially dangerous illnesses like Lyme disease that we’re wise to give them our attention now and then. And in Illinois, ticks are now carrying a relatively new disease called Heartland Virus.

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds cases of disease from mosquito, tick and flea bites tripled between 2004 and 2016 – and Illinois was among the states most affected.

Experts are predicting an increase in tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease this season. Find out how to protect yourself—and what to do if you get bitten by a tick.

Lyme disease is on the rise across the nation and state. We talk with a panel of experts about its prevalence in the Chicago area, and how you can prevent infections. Read a fact sheet about symptoms and prevention.