Andover and North Andover both land in the upper third of Essex County for tick risk this month, right as nymph-stage deer ticks — often no bigger than a poppy seed — hit their peak season. A new analysis from TickZone ranks Andover eighth and North Andover 12th among the county's 34 municipalities, both in the "moderate" risk category.

Nymph-stage blacklegged ticks are so small they're easy to miss entirely — which is exactly why they cause so many Lyme disease cases. They stay attached long enough to transmit the bacteria before anyone notices. Massachusetts ranked fifth nationally for Lyme disease in 2023, and ticks here also carry anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and the rare but serious Powassan virus, which — unlike Lyme — can spread within just 15 minutes of a bite and has no vaccine or specific treatment. Essex County recorded two confirmed Powassan cases in 2025.

Ward Reservation's 704 acres in Andover offer nearly 15 miles of trails through oak-pine woods, a quaking bog, and beaver wetlands — exactly the kind of damp, brushy terrain ticks love. TickZone's founder, Nathan Burnett, said wooded neighborhoods in both towns carry real risk even though Essex County overall ranks lower than much of the rest of the Northeast. (TickZone is a privately built tool; its rankings haven't been independently verified by state or local health officials.)

Stick to the center of trails, wear long sleeves and pants, and use an EPA-registered repellent. Do a full-body tick check after any time outdoors, and remove attached ticks promptly with fine-tipped tweezers — the sooner, the better.