Health officials across Delaware and Southeastern Pennsylvania are urging homeowners to take outdoor pest protection seriously this summer after federal data showed emergency room visits for tick bites rose more than 25% in April 2026 compared to the same period last year, according to a Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health briefing on May 5, 2026.
The numbers arrive as experts warn that nymphal deer tick populations this spring may carry a higher prevalence of Lyme disease than in recent years, driven by elevated mouse survival rates from the previous season. Nymphal ticks, which are roughly the size of a poppy seed and difficult to spot on skin, represent the highest transmission risk for Lyme disease and reach peak activity in May and June.
Pennsylvania already leads the nation in confirmed Lyme disease cases annually. State health departments reported more than 89,000 confirmed Lyme cases nationwide in 2023, the most recent year for which full data is available, while public health researchers estimate that close to 500,000 Americans actually contract the disease each year given significant underreporting. The Pennsylvania Department of Health issued a statewide health alert network bulletin on April 22, 2026, urging residents to take immediate precautions.
For homeowners across New Castle County, Chester County, Delaware County, and Montgomery County who want professional protection for their yards this summer, Strobert Tree Services is scheduling mosquito and tick treatment appointments now.
What Strobert’s Mosquito and Tick Program Covers
Strobert’s mosquito and tick treatments are part of their Plant Health Care program, which schedules targeted treatments beginning in May each year to allow homeowners to enjoy outdoor spaces through the full summer season. The treatments use safe and effective barrier applications targeting the breeding and resting areas where mosquitoes and ticks concentrate, including leaf litter, shrub borders, lawn edges, and shaded groundcover, without disrupting the surrounding landscape or creating unnecessary chemical exposure in open recreational areas.
Their expert technicians apply environmentally responsible products designed to control and repel both mosquitoes and ticks throughout the treatment zone. For residential properties in the wooded suburban communities throughout Delaware and Southeast Pennsylvania, where deer populations keep tick pressure high regardless of how tidy a lawn is maintained, a professional barrier treatment creates a meaningful buffer between your yard and the surrounding tick habitat.
The same program also addresses mosquitoes, which breed in standing water and dense vegetation near structures. Mosquitoes in the region are established vectors for West Nile virus, which circulates across Delaware and Pennsylvania each summer, and represent a consistent nuisance for anyone trying to use their outdoor space during the warmer months.
“With the arrival of summer, pests like ticks and mosquitoes become more prevalent,” the company notes on its plant care program page. “Our expert technicians use safe and effective treatments to control and repel ticks and mosquitoes, targeting breeding areas and applying environmentally-friendly products to help create a pest-free environment.”
Why 2026 Is a Particularly Active Season
The severity of any given tick season is shaped largely by the winter that preceded it. Mouse and deer populations play the central role. Mice are the primary reservoir for Lyme disease bacteria, and when mouse populations thrive through a mild winter, the proportion of nymphal ticks that pick up the Lyme pathogen the following spring rises accordingly.
The February 2026 blizzard that struck the Delaware Valley, while damaging for trees and structures, did not arrive early enough in the season to significantly suppress the mouse populations that influence tick infection rates. Tick surveillance specialists noted in spring forecasts that the trend of larval tick activity pushing later into fall, a pattern observed in 2025, tends to produce a higher prevalence of infected nymphal deer ticks the following spring.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health recommends multiple layers of personal protection, including insect repellent with DEET or picaridin on skin, permethrin-treated clothing for outdoor activities, thorough tick checks after any time spent outdoors, and prompt removal of any attached ticks using fine-tipped tweezers. The department also notes that ticks are not confined to forests and wooded trails. They are found in suburban yards, shrub borders, leaf litter, and tall grasses throughout urban and suburban communities across the state.
A Pfizer and Valneva Lyme disease vaccine candidate showed more than 70% efficacy in Phase 3 trials announced in March 2026, but the vaccine is not yet available to the public and remains under regulatory review. Until it clears that process, professional yard treatment combined with personal protective measures remains the most reliable available defense for families spending time outdoors this summer.
Serving Delaware and Southeast Pennsylvania
Strobert Tree Services operates five offices across its service territory, including its Wilmington, Delaware headquarters at 1806 Zebley Road, a Georgetown, Delaware location serving downstate Sussex and Kent counties, an Exton, Pennsylvania location serving Chester County, a Bryn Mawr office covering the Main Line and Delaware County, and a Schwenksville location at 458 Swamp Pike serving Montgomery County communities including Pottstown, Lansdale, and Norristown.
The company has served homeowners and commercial clients across the region since 2000 and holds ISA-Certified Arborist credentials across its team along with Tree Care Industry Association accreditation. All mosquito and tick treatment technicians are trained in the application protocols and product specifications that make barrier treatments effective while maintaining safety for family members, pets, and pollinators in the treated area.
Homeowners interested in scheduling mosquito and tick treatments can contact Strobert Tree Services at (302) 656-6077 in Delaware or (610) 388-9570 in Pennsylvania. Appointments and free consultations can also be requested through the Strobert website. The company offers 24-hour emergency service and a 100% customer satisfaction guarantee on all services.
What Homeowners Can Do Right Now
Professional yard treatments work best when combined with simple property management steps that reduce the habitat ticks and mosquitoes rely on. The Pennsylvania and Delaware health departments recommend the following for residential properties.
- Remove leaf litter and low-growing vegetation from lawn edges, fence lines, and the perimeter of decks and play areas. Ticks congregate in these transition zones between maintained lawn and unmaintained vegetation.
- Eliminate standing water. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a bottle cap of standing water. Empty birdbaths, flower pot saucers, gutters, and any containers that collect and hold water after rain events.
- Create a barrier between your lawn and wooded areas. A three-foot-wide strip of wood chips or gravel along the edge of a wooded property line makes a natural tick barrier that is easy to maintain.
- Keep grass cut short. Ticks avoid open, sunny areas and prefer shaded ground cover and tall grass. Regular mowing reduces their habitat footprint significantly on maintained residential properties.
- Conduct tick checks after every outdoor activity. Check behind the knees, under the arms, around the hairline, and in the belly button, where ticks frequently go undetected.
For professional mosquito and tick barrier treatment covering the full residential yard, Strobert Tree Services remains available throughout the summer season. To learn more about their full plant health care program or to schedule service, visit stroberttree.com.
