The number of reported tick bites in the Netherlands rose to 10,795 in 2025, an increase of 41% compared to the year before, monitoring body Tekenradar.nl said at the start of information campaign Week of the tick.

The number is the highest of the last five years, public health institute RIVM and Wageningen University said, although the real number is likely to top a million.

June and July were the worst months for tick bites. The extremely dry start to the tick season meant they were less active but after the rain in May the number of reported bites increased and remained higher than in other months, Wageningen biologist Arnold van Vliet said.

The chances of being bitten are greatest in Drenthe, which reported 142 bites per 100,000 inhabitants. Gelderland came second with 83 and Flevoland with 79. Zuid-Holland only reported 22 bites, Noord Holland 29 and Noord Brabant 29.

According to the RIVM, ticks are becoming more active as the temperatures rise and more tick bites have been reported in the last few weeks.

Ticks can carry the Borrelia Burgdorferi bacteria which causes Lyme disease and has potentially serious consequences if left untreated.