Tick Safety Near the Cooper River Greenway: What Camden County Residents Need to Know

The Cooper River Greenway and Tick Exposure in Camden County

The Cooper River Greenway is one of Camden County's most popular outdoor amenities, drawing hikers, cyclists, and families through Cherry Hill, Pennsauken, Haddon Township, and Collingswood. The trail system passes through exactly the type of habitat that deer ticks (black-legged ticks) prefer: areas where maintained lawn and open paths meet brushy vegetation, wooded corridors, and tall grass. Camden County is within New Jersey's highest-risk zone for Lyme disease transmission, and the Greenway is a significant exposure pathway for the county's outdoor-active residents.

Tick Species Found Along the Cooper River Corridor

Three tick species are relevant to Cooper River Greenway users and homeowners with yards adjacent to the trail system:

• Deer ticks (Ixodes scapularis): The primary Lyme disease vector in South Jersey. Nymphal deer ticks, active May through July, are the size of a poppy seed and responsible for most Lyme transmissions because bites go undetected. Adult deer ticks peak in October through December and early spring. They quest from vegetation at trail edges and lawn borders.
• American dog ticks: Larger and more visible, common in open grassy areas throughout Cherry Hill and Pennsauken near the Greenway. Carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Require longer attachment for disease transmission than deer ticks.
• Lone star ticks: Expanding into South Jersey and documented in Camden County. Aggressively host-seek from vegetation and can cause alpha-gal syndrome (meat allergy) in addition to other illness.

Post-Hike Tick Check Protocol for Greenway Users

After any time on or near the Cooper River Greenway, Camden County families should follow a consistent tick check protocol:

• Shower within two hours of outdoor activity to wash off unattached ticks
• Check hair and scalp, behind ears, back of neck, armpits, and between toes
• Check behind knees, groin, and around the waistline
• Check children and pets before entering the home
• Place clothing directly into a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any attached ticks

If you find an attached tick, remove it promptly using fine-tipped tweezers, grasping as close to the skin as possible and pulling straight out. Clean the bite area with rubbing alcohol. Monitor for rash or fever in the days following a bite and consult your physician if symptoms develop.

Professional Yard Treatment for Greenway-Adjacent Properties

Homeowners with yards backing up to the Cooper River Greenway or adjacent wooded and brushy areas in Cherry Hill, Pennsauken, Haddon Township, and Collingswood face elevated tick pressure that extends from the trail into residential outdoor spaces. Professional barrier spray treatment targeting the vegetation border, landscape beds, and lawn edges reduces tick populations in the areas where families actually spend time by 75 percent or more with consistent monthly applications from April through October.

Deer tick pressure in Camden County warrants professional yard treatment as a genuine public health measure, not just a comfort improvement. Winslow Township and Waterford Township properties bordering conservation land face the highest overall tick pressure in the county and benefit most from intensive seasonal programs.

Call Camden County Pest Control at (856) 600-0812 to schedule tick yard treatment for your Cooper River Greenway-adjacent property or anywhere in Camden County.