Why Central PA Dog Owners Face Serious Tick Risks
Living here in Central Pennsylvania puts our dogs at the epicenter of America's Lyme disease crisis. Pennsylvania had more than 16,000 reported cases of Lyme Disease in 2023, among the highest in the country, and has had the highest incidence of Lyme disease in the country in 11 of the past 12 years. What's particularly concerning for us dog owners is that in Pennsylvania, 20â40% of blacklegged ticks test positive for B. burgdorferi depending on location.
Our beautiful Harrisburg areaâwith its mix of wooded parks like Wildwood, suburban neighborhoods around Camp Hill and Mechanicsburg, and proximity to the Susquehanna Riverâcreates the perfect storm for tick populations. Both ticks and Lyme disease are present in all 67 Pennsylvania counties, and Lyme disease might be contracted in any of Pennsylvania's counties.
The reality check that changed how I approach tick prevention came from research showing "while a lot of people might think they're most likely to encounter a tick in a state park, in reality the most common exposure is in your own backyard." So whether you're walking your dog around Italian Lake, hitting the trails at Boyd Big Tree Preserve, or just letting them out in your Mechanicsburg backyard, the risk is real.
Understanding Ticks in Our Local Environment
The Main Culprits in Central PA
Two species account for more than 90 percent of identification requests submitted to Penn State: blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) and American dog tick (Dermacentor variablis). The blacklegged tick (often called the deer tick) is our primary concern for Lyme disease transmission.
These tiny parasites are most active during our beautiful spring and fall weather. Adults may be found nearly year-round, particularly in the fall and early spring, and they may be active anytime the temperature is above 40°F. Given our mild winters lately, we're seeing tick activity almost year-round in the Harrisburg area.
Where Ticks Hide in Our Neighborhoods
Deer ticks spend their time hanging out in piles of leaves and other undergrowth. When it warms up, they climb bushes, weeds and grass and wait for unsuspecting passersby to brush past. In our area, this means:
- The tall grass edges at Riverfront Park
- Leaf litter around the walking trails at Wildwood Park
- Overgrown areas near the Yellow Breeches Creek
- Wooded sections of the Capital Area Greenbelt
- Even your own yard, especially near fence lines and garden borders
Local Veterinary Resources for Tick Prevention
Trusted Central PA Veterinary Clinics
When it comes to prescription tick preventatives and Lyme vaccines, you'll want to work with a local veterinarian who understands our regional tick pressures. Here are some well-established practices serving our area:
Winding Hill Veterinary Clinic in Mechanicsburg has been providing top-quality veterinary care for families throughout the area since 1981, serving Camp Hill, Harrisburg & all of Central Pennsylvania. They're located conveniently for West Shore residents and have been honored with Harrisburg Magazine's Simply the Best and Reader's Choice Veterinary Clinic awards for 15 years straight.
Lambs Gap Animal Hospital in Mechanicsburg emphasizes preventive care and focuses on parasite prevention, helping to identify the silent signs of infestation and learn how to protect your dog or cat from the hidden dangers of fleas, ticks, and heartworms.
Cumberland Veterinary Clinic provides veterinary care to pets in Enola, Harrisburg, Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg, Carlisle, Hershey & surrounding areas and prides itself on being 100% family and locally owned.
For those in Harrisburg proper, PinnacleHealth Infectious Disease Associates at 810 Sir Thomas Ct. Suite 101 Harrisburg, PA 17109 specializes in tick-borne diseases if you need specialized care.
Prescription Prevention Options
Today, the recommended flea and tick treatments for dogs include oral tablets, which are a great choice for both prevention and treatment of fleas and ticks, while being safe for both your dog and your family. Oral tablets that treat fleas and ticks can only be obtained from your veterinarian.
Popular prescription options include:
- NexGard and NexGard PLUS: Beef-flavored chewables given monthly that are effective against fleas and ticks, with NexGard PLUS providing comprehensive protection against fleas, ticks, heartworms, roundworms, and hookworms
- Topical treatments: Topical flea/tick prevention for dogs and topical tick repellent, as well as oral flea prevention
- Lyme vaccination: Vaccines are available for Lyme disease that can prevent or at least reduce the severity of Lyme disease should your pet be exposed. They are an added layer of protection that your veterinarian may recommend based on your pet's lifestyle
High-Risk Areas for Harrisburg Dog Owners
Popular Dog Parks and Recreation Areas
Our area's fantastic dog-friendly spaces unfortunately also happen to be prime tick habitat. Here's what you need to know:
Happy Tails Dog Park is in Kohl Memorial Park in Harrisburg, PA. The area is built on almost two acres and features two separate sections for larger and smaller dogs. While it's a great socialization spot, the grassy areas and nearby wooded edges require vigilant tick checks.
Lower Allen Community Park Dog Park in Camp Hill is popular with West Shore residents but sits adjacent to wooded areas that harbor ticks.
Wildwood Park features all the natural scenery you could ever want without having to leave Harrisburg proper, with seven trails across its 229 acres, many of which loop around the gorgeous lake. The diverse habitat hereâfrom wetlands to wooded trailsâmakes it a tick hotspot despite its beauty.
Boyd Big Tree Preserve features nearly 950 acres of forest and wildlife preserve, including old-growth trees and over 11 miles of trails. Most of the trails are fairly gentle, but the extensive forest canopy creates ideal tick conditions.
Urban Areas Aren't Safe Either
Riverfront Park, stretching along the Susquehanna River, provides a scenic urban backdrop for daily exercise, but even this downtown location has grassy areas and landscaping where ticks can hide. The entire Greenbelt trail system loops around the downtown area, with a particularly scenic leg called Asylum Run, which winds alongside a creek bedâexactly the type of moist, wooded environment ticks love.
Effective Prevention Strategies
Year-Round Protection Protocol
Pets should be on flea and tick prevention year-round. The key to preventing fleas and ticks is monthly application of a veterinary-prescribed and recommended maintenance program. Without consistent monthly administration, your pet will be susceptible to fleas and ticks.
Don't rely on over-the-counter products. The influx of unapproved flea treatment for dogs in the early 2000's, and specifically spot-on treatments, led the Environmental Protection Agency to issue a warning in 2010 about possible toxic reactions to flea medicine for dogs.
Daily Tick Checks Are Essential
During tick season (generally spring through fall in Pennsylvania), it is important to check your dog for ticks after being outside or at least once a day since the pathogen that causes Lyme disease can be transmitted from the tick to your dog in as little as one day.
Focus your searches on these areas where ticks generally prefer areas that are warm, protected, and have thinner skin. On dogs, common sites of tick bites are in the groin, under the front legs, around the eyes, and in and around the ears. Also check any skin folds your dog may have, as well as the little pocket on your dog's ear flap.
Especially in long-coated dogs, checking for ticks is best done with both your eyes and your hands. Often, ticks buried deep in the fur can be felt even if they cannot be seen.
Environmental Management at Home
You can reduce tick populations around your property with these strategies:
- Keep grass short, clear leaf litter, and create barriers with wood chips or gravel between lawns and woods
- Clean up fall leaves, create a brush-free zone on porches and walkways, and try to keep the ticks' favorite mealâdeerâout of your space
- Consider professional tick control services like Harrisburg Pest Control Solutions, which provides comprehensive tick control services designed to eliminate these pests and prevent future infestations, serving nearby cities like Mechanicsburg, Camp Hill, and Hershey
What to Do If You Find a Tick
Proper Removal Technique
Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don't twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin.
Testing Options in Pennsylvania
Our state offers unique resources for tick testing. The Pennsylvania Tick Research Lab can analyze your tick, testing for tick-borne diseases such as Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Order your test online and learn whether you're at risk before symptoms appear.
Once they receive your tick, you'll have your test results within three business days. This can provide valuable peace of mind and help guide treatment decisions with your veterinarian.
When to See Your Vet
It usually takes more than 24 hours for a deer tick to give you Lyme Disease, and you should call your doctor if you believe a tick has been there longer or are showing symptoms of Lyme Disease. The same timeline applies to dogsâblacklegged ticks typically need to feed for 24 hours before Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent of Lyme disease, is transmitted.
Watch for symptoms like lethargy, loss of appetite, lameness, or swollen joints. Early diagnosis and proper antibiotic treatment of Lyme disease is important and can help prevent late Lyme disease.
Seasonal Considerations for Central PA
Spring Emergence
As the weather starts to get warmer, deer ticks start to get active again. Our early spring weather often catches dog owners off guardâone day it's 35 degrees, the next it's 65 and perfect for a long hike with your dog.
Peak Season Vigilance
Tick exposure can occur year-round, but ticks are most active during warmer months (April-September). This coincides perfectly with when we want to be outdoors the most with our dogsâhiking the Appalachian Trail sections near Carlisle, attending WoofStock at Riverfront Park, or exploring the trails at Memorial Lake State Park.
Fall Activity Surge
Adults are active in the late fall and early spring, making our beautiful Pennsylvania autumns particularly risky. Those gorgeous fall hikes through the changing leaves? Prime tick time.
Looking Ahead: New Developments
There's hope on the horizon. The future of treatment, at least for Lyme disease, is looking up with a new vaccine in development. There is also research into a pill that you take once a month. Additionally, a second study underway at the PA Tick Lab focuses on white-footed mice in four Pennsylvania counties, vaccinating them against ticks to decrease the number of ticks feeding on these mammals, to ultimately reduce the number of ticks in the environment.
Until these solutions become available, prevention remains our best defense. Prevention is still the best medicine.
Living in Central Pennsylvania means accepting that tick exposure is part of life with dogs, but it doesn't mean we have to live in fear. With consistent prevention, regular checks, and good relationships with our local veterinarians, we can keep our four-legged family members safe while still enjoying everything our beautiful region has to offer. From the river trails in Harrisburg to the mountain paths near Carlisle, informed vigilance lets us explore with confidence.