Field reference · updated June 2026
Ticks, Lyme, and what's actually moving in the leaf litter this month.
A working dashboard for the Great Allegheny Passage corridor and the wider Laurel Highlands. Built from CDC surveillance, the PA Department of Health 2025 advisory, DEP fall‑2025 tick survey results, and Penn State Extension's tick monograph.
Monthly risk across the year
Composite risk score weighting blacklegged nymphs (highest disease transmission), adult ticks, and other species. Based on PA DOH seasonal activity tables and CDC transmission data. Click any month for detail.
Composite tick risk by month
Activity by life stage
Blacklegged tick · I. scapularis
Nymphs (May–July) cause most Lyme infections — they're poppy‑seed‑sized and easy to miss.
June — Peak nymph season
What's actually crawling in PA
Three are well established in Somerset County and along the GAP corridor. The Gulf Coast tick is largely confined to southeastern counties for now.
Symptom timelines
When symptoms typically appear after a bite, and what to look for. Always seek care if symptoms develop within 30 days of known or suspected exposure — diagnostics are time‑sensitive.
The bullseye is diagnostic — but it doesn't always appear
Erythema migrans shows up in about 70–80% of Lyme cases, usually 3–30 days after the bite. It expands gradually (often >5 cm) and is not painful or itchy. Photograph it the moment you see it — it can fade fast. The other 20–30% of patients develop systemic symptoms with no visible rash, which is why "flu in summer" is the classic Lyme presentation.
Checklists for your usual outings
Tailored for the activities you actually do — long‑distance cycling on the GAP, off‑trail botanical work, and herb harvesting in brushy edge habitat.
Repellent quick reference
The first 72 hours
A clean, decisive removal in the first 24 hours dramatically reduces transmission risk — Lyme typically requires the tick to be attached 36–48 hours.
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0–5 min
Remove with fine‑tipped tweezers
Grasp as close to the skin as possible. Pull upward with steady, even pressure — no twisting, no jerking. Don't crush the body. Don't apply heat, petroleum jelly, or nail polish. If mouthparts break off and can't be removed easily, leave them and let the skin heal.
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5–15 min
Clean, photograph, save the tick
Wash the bite area and your hands with soap and water (or rubbing alcohol). Photograph the tick next to a coin for scale. Place it in a small zip bag with a damp cotton ball or a piece of tape — label with date and location.
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Same day
Consider testing the tick
Submit to the PA Tick Research Lab at East Stroudsburg University for pathogen testing — results in ~3 business days. Do not wait for results before seeking care if symptoms appear.
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24–72 hr
Discuss prophylaxis with a provider
A single 200 mg dose of doxycycline within 72 hours of removing an engorged blacklegged tick in a high‑incidence area (PA qualifies) can prevent Lyme. Ask specifically — many providers won't volunteer it.
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3–30 days
Watch for symptoms
Expanding rash, summer "flu," joint pain, facial droop (Bell's palsy), heart palpitations, or unusual fatigue. Mark a calendar reminder at the bite date so you remember if symptoms appear weeks later.