Here’s How To Track Tick Activity In Wisconsin Throughout The Year

With the arrival of warmer weather, tick season is getting into full swing in Wisconsin.

These little pests can spread some pretty rough diseases. One of the most well-known in the region is Lyme Disease, spread by blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks.

Beyond that, other tick varieties can spread different diseases. One that has gotten a lot of headlines in recent years is the lone star tick, which can spread alpha-gal syndrome, which causes a meat allergy.

Protecting yourself, especially during peak tick activity, is key to avoiding exposure to these potentially disease-carrying creepy crawly bugs.

READ MORE: Scientists Say Ticks Found In Wisconsin Can 'Fly'

To help with that, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services manages a website with a regular tick surveillance report to update Wisconsinites on tick activity and trends across the state.

How do they track tick activity across Wisconsin?

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services has three different field collection sites, which they refer to as "sentinel sites," to track tick activity and levels in different parts of the state.

The sites are located in Lincoln County in Northcentral Wisconsin, Waupaca County in Central Wisconsin, and Iowa County in Southwestern Wisconsin.

While they do see data for various types of ticks, they focus mainly on blacklegged (deer) ticks, as they present the biggest tickborne disease risk, with diseases like Lyme Disease and babesiosis among them.

At each of these sites, they use something called a "tick drag" to pull through vegetation to get a sampling of tick levels.

These sites are used to generate a report roughly every other week through tick season, which is longer than you may think.

READ MORE: Myth Or Fact: Do Ticks In Wisconsin Jump Or Fall Out Of Trees And Land On People?

While most people think of tick season as primarily late spring and summertime, there is a risk nearly year-round in Wisocnsin. Ticks are most active in spring, summer, and fall, but tick encounters in winter are possible, too.

It is worth noting that while these sites can give you an idea of how active ticks are, the Wisconsin DHS makes sure to remind the public that it isn't a fully representative look at activity around the entire state.

What are they seeing at these tick sites?

As I write this in mid-May of 2026, adult deer tick activity is high across Wisconsin.

In their mid-May report, adult tick levels in Iowa County and Lincoln County have been slightly higher overall than last year, while Waupaca County is seeing levels in line with last year's data.

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While young tick activity is low right now, historical data from these three sites should start trending upward in the coming weeks.

You can follow each report as it is published via this page on the Wisconsin Department of Health Services website.