What happened
On September 28, 2026, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced nearly $3 million in funding, through the CDC and the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to test new ways of cutting tick numbers. The goal is to prevent Lyme disease, alpha-gal syndrome and other tickborne illnesses at the source.
The money goes to two CDC-funded research hubs: the New England Center of Excellence in Vector-borne Diseases and the Midwest Center of Excellence for Vector-Borne Disease. The CDC set up these centers in 2017 to link university research with public health work.
- Treated feed for deer. Deer are a main host for adult blacklegged ticks and lone star ticks. The feed contains a tick-killing ingredient meant to kill or weaken female ticks before they finish feeding, so they cannot lay eggs. HHS compares the idea to the oral flea and tick pills many dog owners use.
- “Super baits” for mice and other rodents. Bait boxes would deliver feed with a tick-killing ingredient, an antibiotic, or both. Rodents feed young blacklegged ticks and carry Lyme bacteria, so the aim is to kill the ticks and reduce the germs in the animals at the same time.
- Both are pilot studies to see whether these methods shrink tick numbers locally, before anyone considers using them on a large scale.
The awards follow a broader HHS Lyme plan announced on May 29, 2026. That plan reaffirmed a federal goal of cutting Lyme disease cases by 25% by 2035, compared with 2022 levels, and promised a CDC-led pilot that targets ticks on wildlife. It also noted that NIH spends nearly $50 million a year on Lyme research and about $122 million a year on tickborne disease research overall.
What it means for you
- Prevention is moving upstream. Most advice today focuses on what you can do, like repellent and tick checks. These projects test whether reducing ticks across a whole area can lower everyone’s risk.
- Alpha-gal is part of the picture. Because the deer feed targets lone star ticks too, the approach could matter for alpha-gal syndrome as well as Lyme. Learn more on our alpha-gal syndrome page.
- Your own habits still count most right now. Protective clothing, EPA-registered repellent, daily tick checks and quick removal remain the proven basics. See Lyme disease prevention and tick-proof your yard.
What it does not mean
- It is not a program in your neighborhood yet. These are early research pilots at two university centers. HHS did not announce study sites, timelines or plans for wide use.
- It is not proof that the methods work. Testing whether they reduce ticks is the whole point of the pilots.
- It is not a do-it-yourself guide. The feeds and baits are part of controlled research. Do not try to copy them at home.
- It is not new treatment research. This funding is about tick control. It does not change how Lyme disease or lingering symptoms are treated today. For that, see Lyme disease treatment and our research tracker.
What happens next
HHS says the pilots will show whether these approaches can cut tick numbers locally, with the aim of judging whether they could be used on a larger scale. Results will take time. We will report findings as they are published.
In the meantime, the first step on our How to beat Lyme hub is about stopping bites before they happen, and our tick guide explains which ticks to watch for where you live.
More Lyme news
Follow every federal Lyme action in our policy tracker.