Tick Bites Are No Joke. Here’s How to Prevent Them and Protect Yourself.

The mere thought of ticks makes our skin crawl. And the diseases they spread are only getting more common.

In fact, the number of tick-borne illnesses reported each year to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more than doubled over the past two decades (though during the pandemic there was a drop in reported cases and treatment sought).

Continue reading to learn more, written by Annemarie Conte and Doug Mahoney.

LAST UPDATED

May 29, 2025

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Doug Mahoney

Doug Mahoney is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter covering home improvement. He spent 10 years in high-end construction as a carpenter, foreman, and supervisor. He lives in a very demanding 250-year-old farmhouse and spent four years gutting and rebuilding his previous home. He also raises sheep and has a dairy cow that he milks every morning.

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