08/01/2026
A friendly reminder from Brookfield Animal Control
🚨🕷️ ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER PSA: TICKS ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS 🕷️🚨
Attention, Massachusetts residents! Your friendly neighborhood Animal Control Officer would like to remind you that tick season is here… and apparently, the ticks have decided they are staying year-round.
That’s right. Thanks to warmer, wetter weather and climate change, tick populations are expanding, tick season is getting longer, and these tiny freeloaders are becoming increasingly common across Massachusetts.
Ticks have one job: Find a host.
And unfortunately, they are not picky.
You? Sure.
Your kids? Absolutely.
Your dog? Definitely.
Your cat? If they can find them, it’s game on.
Basically, if you’re warm-blooded and walk outside, congratulations! You’re on the tick’s guest list. 🥳
The most common tick-borne diseases in Massachusetts continue to be Lyme disease, babesiosis, and anaplasmosis, but health officials are also watching for rarer and potentially more serious infections.
🦠 POWASSAN VIRUS
This rare but dangerous virus is on the rise. Unlike Lyme disease, which typically requires a tick to be attached for about 24 hours to transmit the bacteria, Powassan virus can potentially be transmitted in as little as 15 minutes.
There is no vaccine or specific treatment, and it can cause serious neurological problems.
So, if you find a tick, don’t invite it in for coffee and wait to see what happens. Remove it promptly.
🥩 ALPHA-GAL SYNDROME
The Lone Star tick can transmit a condition called Alpha-Gal Syndrome, which can cause a serious allergy to red meat and dairy products.
Once primarily associated with the southern United States, Lone Star ticks have now made themselves quite comfortable in Massachusetts, including Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, and parts of Bristol County.
Apparently, even ticks are moving to Massachusetts. We’re running out of room, people.
🩸 LYME DISEASE, BABESIOSIS & ANAPLASMOSIS
These remain the most common tick-borne illnesses in Massachusetts. They tend to peak during the summer months, especially June through August, but ticks can be active year-round when conditions are right.
🕷️ YOUR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER’S TICK PREVENTION CHECKLIST:
✅ Use repellent.
Use an EPA-approved insect repellent such as DEET or picaridin on exposed skin. Clothing can also be treated with permethrin.
✅ CHECK YOURSELF.
After being outside, inspect yourself thoroughly.
✅ CHECK YOUR KIDS.
Because children have an amazing ability to find every patch of tall grass, brush, and questionable woodland debris within a five-mile radius.
✅ CHECK YOUR PETS.
Your dog or cat can unknowingly bring ticks home and introduce them to the entire household. Nobody wants a family reunion where the guests are ticks.
✅ CHECK AGAIN.
Ticks are tiny. Nymph ticks can be as small as a poppy seed.
Yes. A POPPY SEED.
These things are basically microscopic little criminals with eight legs and a talent for hide-and-seek.
🕷️ FINAL PSA FROM YOUR ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER:
Enjoy the outdoors. Go hiking. Take the dog for a walk. Let the kids play outside.
Just remember to check for ticks when you come back inside.
Because while we support wildlife living their best wild lives…
Ticks can respectfully stay OUTSIDE.
And if one does decide to hitchhike home with you, remove it promptly. If you develop symptoms or have concerns about a possible tick-borne illness, contact your healthcare provider.
Stay safe, stay vigilant, and remember:
Check your pets. Check your kids. Check yourself.
The ticks are out there… and they have absolutely no intention of paying rent. 🕷️🏠
