🦟 Tick Control in Westchester County, NY

Westchester County takes tick-borne disease seriously enough to run its own tick surveillance program — one of the few counties in New York State to do so. The county monitors five tick-borne diseases: Lyme (the most common), anaplasmosis, babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and spotted fever rickettsiosis. Over 97% of all vector-borne disease in Westchester is tick-caused.

With 974+ confirmed Lyme cases annually, Westchester consistently ranks among New York State's top two counties for Lyme disease. The risk is not uniform across the county — northern Westchester towns like Bedford, Katonah, Pound Ridge, North Salem, and Lewisboro carry the highest pressure due to dense deer habitat, wooded estates, and stone walls that shelter tick-harboring rodents. But southern Westchester towns including Yonkers, New Rochelle, and Mt. Vernon still have significant tick populations in parks and residential yards.

The primary vector is the black-legged deer tick (Ixodes scapularis), which is active any day temperatures exceed 35°F — including mild winter days. The lone star tick and American dog tick are also present in Westchester. Peak risk periods are May through July (nymph season, when tiny nymphs are hardest to spot and cause the majority of Lyme infections) and September through October (adult deer tick season).

How We Treat Tick Infestations in Westchester County

• Barrier spray treatments — Targeting leaf litter, wood lines, and stone walls where ticks harbor between hosts.
• Tick tube programs — Placed in rodent harborage areas; mice carry treated nesting material that kills ticks on contact before they can pick up Lyme bacteria.
• Granular treatments — Applied to tall grass, brush piles, and transition zones between lawn and wooded areas.
• Seasonal programs — Typically 6–7 applications from April through October to cover the full active season.
• Child and pet-safe formulations — Re-entry window of 30–60 minutes once product is dry.