I’m Jeff, your local pest control guy.

If you’re asking, “Are ticks active in winter around here?” you’re not crazy. You’re paying attention.

Because in New England, winter isn’t one steady block of deep-freeze. Thaws happen. Sunny 45° days show up. Some winters even toss us that weird week where the snow melts, the yard turns muddy, and everybody ends up outside anyway.

Yes—ticks can be active in winter in our area. It’s not every day, and it’s nothing like June. Still, if temperatures pop above freezing and the ground isn’t locked under hard snow or solid ice, certain ticks can wake up and go looking for a host.

If you live in Newbury, MA, those mild winter afternoons can feel like a gift. Dog walk. Quick yard cleanup. Maybe a little fresh air just because you can. Then later that night… you do a “just in case” tick check and find something you didn’t expect.

That surprise is what this is about.

Let me walk you through what’s really happening, why it happens, and what you should do about it—without turning this into a science class.

What “winter tick activity” actually means

Most people file ticks under “summer bugs.” That makes total sense. Summer is when you feel them. Shorts come out. People sit on the grass. Kids tumble around with the dog. Suddenly, you notice everything.

Winter changes the routine. Boots go on. Coats get zipped. Yards get quieter.

Ticks don’t vanish, though.

Instead, winter tick activity shows up in a few sneaky, real-life ways:

• On mild-day dog walks, you can end up doing a surprise tick check later that night.
• Sunny hikes in late winter (or early spring) can still lead to a bite.
• Even a firewood run, brush cleanup, or woodpile shuffle can bring one inside without anyone realizing it.

That’s why winter tick risk feels odd. It’s not constant. Opportunistic is the better word.

Another thing that throws people is location. A wide-open lawn is rarely the problem. The trouble spots are usually the same places all year: edges, brush lines, leaf piles, stone walls, and that shady border where the yard meets the woods.

Take Salisbury, MA as an example. A lot of properties up there blend marsh edges, dune grass, and wooded trails. Those mixed edges create perfect “wait and hitch a ride” zones for ticks when a thaw hits.

Which ticks matter most here in Massachusetts and New Hampshire

In our service area, the tick that makes most homeowners nervous is the blacklegged tick, also called the deer tick.

Lyme disease is the reason people pay attention to that one. Other ticks exist, sure, and you’ll hear about dog ticks depending on where you travel. For winter activity in New England, though, adult blacklegged ticks are the big story.

They’re tough. Cold weather slows them down, but cold weather doesn’t automatically wipe them out.

Here’s the part I want you to remember: winter can reduce movement, not erase the problem.

When a mild stretch shows up, adult deer ticks can take advantage. That’s why you’ll hear a homeowner say, “Jeff, I found a tick in February.”

It’s not a myth. Around here, it’s just the weather doing its weird New England thing.

Folks in Amesbury, MA see this a lot around river corridors and trail edges. Moist leaf litter plus wildlife traffic equals a place ticks can hang out until the right day arrives.

How ticks survive winter without “dying off”

This is where homeowners get tripped up.

People assume, “If it freezes, it kills them.” That’s true for some pests. It’s not true for ticks.

Ticks don’t need a warm house to survive winter. They need insulation.

Leaf litter is insulation.

Pine needles under evergreens work the same way.

That thick, damp layer along the woods edge acts like a blanket.

Even snow can help, because it insulates the ground underneath from getting brutally cold.

So ticks tuck down in that protected layer and wait.

Then a mild day hits.

The top layer warms up just enough.

Movement becomes possible again.

That’s when they “quest.” Questing is the tick behavior where they climb up low brush and wait with their front legs out like they’re hitchhiking.

Walk by with a pant leg, a sock, a dog’s fur, or a kid brushing through a shrub line… and that’s the ride they’ve been waiting for.

Think about how many yards in West Newbury, MA have that classic layout: lawn, then brush, then woods.

Pretty, right? That same layout is a perfect example of how a protected edge can keep ticks alive through winter and ready for a thaw.

Why winter thaws create risk in New England yards

Here’s the simplest way I explain it in a driveway conversation:

Ticks don’t follow calendars. They follow conditions.

If conditions allow movement, they can be active.

That’s why homeowners get caught off-guard during a February thaw or a warm stretch in March. Those are the exact days families feel cooped up and finally say, “Let’s get outside.”

You can see how the timing lines up.

Now picture the ground on a thaw. Sunny spots soften first. Down in the leaf litter, everything gets that damp, slightly warmer feel.

Wildlife moves around more too.

Suddenly, a tick that has been sitting tight for weeks has the chance to climb, wait, and grab a ride.

Does that mean every mild day is dangerous? No.

Could a mild day create exposure? Yes.

That’s the honest answer.

Are ticks “most active” in winter?

No.

Peak tick season for most homeowners is still spring through fall, especially April through September when you’re outside the most and the younger ticks (nymphs) are out and hard to spot.

Winter is different. It’s more like bonus rounds when conditions line up.

So the right mindset is awareness, not panic.

One more thing matters here: adults are bigger. People spot them more easily than nymphs. That can make winter feel scarier than it is, because the tick is visible and unexpected.

Visibility doesn’t always equal higher risk. Surprise is what spikes the stress.

What should families do in winter?

Start with the goal. Living scared isn’t it.

Peace of mind means enjoying your yard, your walks, and your weekends without getting blindsided.

These winter habits actually make sense:

Do a quick tick check after mild-day outings

If you went outside on a winter day where the ground was thawed and temperatures were above freezing, do a quick check when you come back in. Two minutes is enough.

Start with ankles. Move to behind knees. Check waistbands. Finish with the dog’s ears and neck.

Catch it early and you reduce the odds of a tick staying attached for long.

Keep the edge zone tidy

Ticks love edges. The edge is where lawn meets woods. Leaves gather there. Moisture hangs there.

In winter, that edge is often messy because nobody wants to rake in November. I get it.

Still, if you can clean up leaf piles and brush along that boundary before snow sticks, you make the yard less welcoming later.

Properties in Merrimac, MA are a great example of why this matters. Woods, stone walls, and river air create that damp edge zone that stays “tick-friendly” longer than you’d expect, especially when winter bounces above and below freezing.

Don’t forget pets

Dogs don’t care that it’s winter. Shrubs get explored first. Brush lines come next. Leaf piles still look like a playground when they find a patch that isn’t frozen.

Talk with your vet about year-round tick protection for pets, especially if you walk trails all winter. A quick check after outdoor time goes a long way too.

So where does professional tick control fit in?

I’m going to say this carefully, because I’m not here to pressure anybody.

Most homeowners don’t need a “panic spray” in January.

What families do need is a plan that matches the real tick life cycle, the real risk windows, and the real places ticks live.

That’s why our approach focuses on where ticks actually are, not where people wish they were.

Effective tick control targets:

• Woods edges
• Shady borders
• Stone walls and brush lines
• High-traffic areas where kids and pets play

That’s the heart of our tick control treatments. No random fog in the air. Precision around the edge zones and hot spots is what makes it work.

Why timing matters more than most people think

Here’s a mistake I see all the time.

Homeowners wait until they find ticks in May.

Then they call in June.

At that point, you’re already reacting.

A smarter plan hits ticks early, stays steady, and reduces the population before the yard becomes a problem zone. Consistency beats one big swing.

Winter is also when you can set yourself up to win. Leaf cleanup. Edge trimming. Planning your program before the first warm stretch of spring.

That’s how you avoid playing catch-up.

Where mosquitoes fit into a winter tick conversation

You might be thinking, “Jeff… I asked about ticks. Why are we talking mosquitoes?”

Fair question.

Homeowners usually don’t just want fewer ticks. People want the whole yard to feel comfortable again.

Mosquitoes and ticks share the same backyard problem: shade, moisture, and hiding spots.

Improve those conditions and you usually help with both.

Life cycles are different, though. That difference is how you stop wasting money on the wrong fix.

Tick biology in plain English

Ticks are slow.

Flying isn’t their game. Jumping isn’t either. Waiting is.

Most ticks go through stages—larva, nymph, adult—and they need blood meals along the way to develop.

Wildlife keeps the cycle going. Deer, mice, chipmunks, and other animals move ticks around without even trying.

Your yard becomes part of that cycle when you have the right cover and the right travel lanes for animals.

During winter thaws, adult deer ticks can still look for a meal. After feeding, they drop back into leaf litter and keep the cycle moving.

So winter is not “dead time.” It’s more like “quiet time.”

Mosquito biology in plain English

Mosquitoes are different because water is their nursery.

Every mosquito starts in water: egg, larva, pupa, adult.

Eggs can be laid in damp spots that flood later, or in standing water that sits for a week.

Larvae feed in water. That’s the stage you can target with larvicide.

Pupae do not feed. That’s why there’s one stage you can’t really control with a “feeding” product.

Adults fly and bite. That’s the stage everybody notices.

Winter slows mosquitoes down hard in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, but it doesn’t erase what’s waiting to happen once temperatures rise and water collects again.

That’s why a good yard plan doesn’t just chase adult mosquitoes. It also stops new hatches.

At Mosquito Enemy, we focus on the three stages we can actually impact—eggs, larvae, and adults—because pupae don’t feed, so no “feeding” product can touch them in that moment.

That’s exactly what our mosquito egg and larvae control program is built for—targeting the breeding spots that create the next wave.

A simple winter checklist that doesn’t feel like homework

I’ll keep this practical.

If you want the short version, do these five things and you’re already ahead of most people:

• Do a tick check after mild-day walks.
• Keep leaf litter from piling up along the woods edge.
• Trim back brush where kids and pets cut through.
• Store firewood neatly and away from play areas.
• Keep up with pet tick protection if your vet recommends it.

One more winter habit that helps in a surprising way is keeping water moving and drainage clean. Clogged gutters and poor drainage can create wet pockets that turn into breeding areas when spring rain shows up. That’s mosquito talk, but it’s also “yard moisture” talk—and moisture supports the whole bug problem.

When to start thinking about treatment for the next season

If you had ticks last year, don’t wait for the first bite to plan.

Plan early.

Get the yard on the schedule before the season explodes.

That way you’re protecting the fun months before they start.

Families call us because they want to grill, let the kids run, and stop ending nights early.

Less swatting. More peace of mind. Outdoor life feels like it should again.

For a full yard approach, our mosquito and tick control program is built to reduce the pests that make homeowners miserable now and nervous later.

Bottom line

Ticks can be active in winter in our area on mild days.

Long cold snaps lower the risk.

Deep snow helps too.

Warm-ups are when you stay aware and do a quick check.

If you want help building a plan for spring, I’ll talk it through with you like I would in your driveway. No pressure. Just real answers.

FAQ

Q: Do ticks die in the winter in Massachusetts and New Hampshire?
A: No—most ticks don’t simply die off when winter shows up. Cold slows them down, but many survive by hiding in leaf litter and protected areas.

Q: What temperature do ticks become active?
A: Ticks can start moving when temperatures climb above freezing, especially on sunny afternoons. Many homeowners use about 40°F as the point where tick activity becomes possible during a thaw.

Q: Can my dog pick up ticks in winter?
A: Yes—dogs can bring ticks inside during winter thaws and warmer stretches. Pets run the exact edges and brush lines where ticks wait for a ride.

Q: Should I worry about ticks if there’s snow on the ground?
A: Deep snow and hard frozen ground lower the risk, but they don’t guarantee zero ticks. A warm-up that melts snow along edges can allow adult ticks to move again.

Q: When should I start tick control for my yard?
A: If you had ticks last year, it’s smart to plan before spring ramps up. Starting early helps reduce the tick population before your family and pets are outside every day.

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“It’s More Fun Outside”! with Mosquito Enemy