10/12/2026
Pittsburgh social media has been abuzz with reports of people and their dogs picking up what are known as “tick larval bombs” — hundreds of poppyseed-sized ticks, appearing in late summer and early fall.
Although more people are bitten and contract tick-borne illnesses in the summer, adult ticks will be active through the fall and into winter on days above freezing.
As Pennsylvanians are increasingly aware, the tiny insects are more than a nuisance and can carry a host of diseases.
In Allegheny County, blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, carry Lyme disease and the more serious anaplasmosis. Lyme disease cases this year, through Sept. 30, were at 1,372 for the county, compared to 2025’s total of 2,595.
Cases of the more dangerous anaplasmosis, however, have climbed, from 152 cases in 2025, including one death locally, to 164 in 2026 through Oct. 3, according to the Allegheny County Health Department.
Protection can help — greatly. Using a permethrin product on shoes alone makes a person 70 times less likely to contract a tickborne disease, noted Nick Baldauf, an entomologist and the vector-control coordinator at the county health department.
If caught early, Lyme disease, which can present like the flu and include a rash, is easily treatable with antibiotics. If not addressed, the disease can lead to long-term health problems impacting the joints, nerves, brain and heart.
Although anaplasmosis is more rare, it also is treatable with antibiotics and presents with flu-like symptoms. But long-term complications include chronic fatigue, dizziness, bleeding and respiratory failure.
Also rare is alpha-gal syndrome, which can cause serious allergies to mammal meat and some dairy products. It is associated with the lone star tick, though more research is needed, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.
There isn’t an established population of the lone star tick currently in Allegheny County, according to the county health department.
There are reports of a Ross woman contracting alpha-gal syndrome after a tick bite in her backyard. But details are pending.
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