Tick Prevention Tips That Help Stop The Spread Of Lyme Disease

Lyme disease, an infection caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi and spread by infected deer ticks, has been a serious problem here in Maine for several years and reached a record high of over 2,000 reported cases in 2019. Despite the 2020 dip in numbers which according to the Press Herald, a reluctance to seek medical care during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and dry weather last summer resulted in a significant decline of diagnosed Lyme disease cases in Maine in 2020, ticks remain a serious threat to Maine residents.

To avoid encounters with deer ticks and to lessen your family’s chance of acquiring Lyme disease or other tick-borne illnesses, we highly recommend taking a few moments to review the following tick prevention tips.

Create a tick-free zone around your house

The best way to reduce the tick population around your home and on your property is to make it less habitable to these biting pests. To that end, we suggest:

• Mowing your lawn regularly

• Clearing out dense overgrowth

• Removing rock piles and addressing other areas where mice live and breed

• Installing fence to keep deer out of your tick-free zone

• Signing up for seasonal tick control services (more on this later)

Protect yourself when outdoors

Fear of ticks should not stop you from enjoying time outdoors when the weather is at its warmest. We encourage you to spend time hiking, gardening, and pursuing other outdoor interests but do so in a way that reduces your exposure to ticks.

• Stay on trails and avoid wooded areas

• Steer clear of tall grass and overgrowth

• Dress in light-colored clothing to make tick detection easier

• Wear long sleeved shirts and pants when spending time in areas where ticks are likely to be present

• Use tick repellant products that contain permethrin on your clothing and footwear

• Apply tick repellents to exposed skin that contain 20-30% DEET

• After outdoor excursions, ALWAYS check yourself, family members, and pets for ticks

Sign Up For Tick Control To Reduce Activity On Your Property

While it is impossible to keep your property 100% tick-free, you can significantly reduce the tick population when you sign up for seasonal tick control services.

Serving Camden, Waterville, and Portland as well as communities throughout our central, coastal, and southern Maine service area, Advanced Pest Solutions offers effective tick control services that includes monthly treatments April through September. Bonus, it targets pesky mosquitoes too!

Don’t let the worry about ticks and the diseases they spread or the nuisance of mosquito bites keep you indoors, contact Advanced Pest Solutions for help today!