After taking his dog, Suki, for a walk in a local park earlier this year, Babylon resident Richard Miller said he discovered two ticks on his body.
“I had one on my chest embedded, and I actually went to the doctor and did blood tests and found out I had something at some point,” Miller said.
Miller said it was the first time he sought medical treatment for a tick bite.
“They just threw antibiotics at me, but that's the first time in 10 or 11 years I've lived on Long Island that I've had an embedded tick in my skin,” he said.
Miller believes he encountered the ticks while visiting Gardiner County Park in Bay Shore.
That's where Suffolk County officials held a news conference to alert the public that the number of ticks across the county is growing, bringing an increased risk of illnesses such as Lyme disease and alpha-gal syndrome, commonly known as the red meat allergy.
“We're the epicenter of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases,” Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine said.
While Suffolk officials have not yet released 2026 tick data, they say tick-related illnesses are increasing across the county. Health experts urge residents to check themselves, family members and pets for ticks after spending time outdoors, especially in wooded areas and locations frequented by deer.
“With the expansion of the deer population moving westward, we're seeing more people exposed to tick populations,” Suffolk County entomologist Scott Campbell said.
County officials said they regularly monitor and treat public areas for ticks. Still, Miller said the growing presence of ticks will not keep him away from local parks.
“You’re going to find them everywhere,” he said. “I'm not going to stop coming, but I'm a little more careful when we're going through the trails and the woods.”