What New Residents Should Know About Ticks In Maine
Maine has become one of the most moved-to states since COVID pandemic started. That got us thinking, are new residents aware of the tick problem in our state and are they taking the proper precautions to protect their families from tick bites?
Maine is a great place to live but ticks are most certainly a problem
While Maine has a lot to offer newcomers in the way of scenery, safety, and things to do, it also has a significant tick problem. If you’re reading this blog post and aren’t quite familiar with ticks, here are a couple of things to know:
Blacklegged ticks (more commonly known as deer ticks), American dog ticks, and brown dog ticks are the most prevalent species found in Maine.
Deer ticks are infamous in our region because they are known vectors of Lyme disease as well as other tick-borne illnesses. Of course, infected American dog ticks also transmit illness and brown dog ticks are vectors of a couple of diseases in dogs including canine ehrlichiosis.
Ticks are generally a problem during the warmest months but milder winters and other factors may allow ticks to remain active throughout most of the year in Maine.
Don’t take chances with your health, protect against these biting pests
If you spend any time outdoors, especially in wooded areas or off-trail, there’s a good chance you’ll encounter ticks. You might even pick one up walking across your lawn, thanks to deer, mice, and other wildlife that introduce ticks as they pass over your property. In order to reduce your exposure to ticks and lower your chance of getting Lyme or another tick-borne illness, the Maine CDC recommends the following:
Wear EPA-approved repellents
Wear long-sleeved, light-colored clothing
Tuck your pant legs into your socks & your shirt into your pants
Check your clothing and gear for any ticks after outdoor excursions
Perform a full-body tick check & shower after spending time outside
Make sure you check kids and pets too
What to do if you find a tick attached
If you find a tick embedded in your skin, don’t go all gung-ho pulling it out. In order to make sure all mouthparts are removed from your skin, use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible and then pull upward with steady pressure. DO NOT twist or jerk the tick or else you risk leaving behind the aforementioned mouthparts. If you’re using a tick spoon, follow the directions that came with it to ensure it’s used properly.
Removal of ticks should be done as soon as they are discovered. The CDC says ticks must be attached 36 to 48 hours or more before the Lyme bacterium can be transmitted but does preface that with “in most cases”. In our opinion, the sooner the tick is removed the better for all parties involved.
Keep in mind, you might never see a tick on your person and still end up with a health issue
According to the Maine Health Institute for Research, the greatest risk of humans contracting Lyme disease during their seasonal peak in June and July is from deer tick nymphs. Although adults are quite small, nymphs are even tinier and their bites are painless, which means there’s a good chance you won’t even know they bit you.
If you develop unexplained flu-like symptoms, joint and/or muscle pain, a bull’s eye rash on your skin, or other symptoms you can’t explain, we highly recommend reaching out to your doctor.
Make your property less tick-friendly
To make your backyard and property less of a tick habitat, we recommend:
Removing leaves, brush, and other organic material from your yard
Mow your lawn regularly
Trim back dense overgrowth, especially in transitional areas where the manicured lawn meets woods
Increase sunlight by pruning tree branches and thinning out shrubs
Do not set up swing sets, picnic tables, or other outdoor furniture in shady areas or underneath trees
Consider signing up for seasonal tick treatments
At Advanced Pest Solutions, we offer tick control services in central and coastal Maine that target ticks when they are most active in our state, typically from April through September. Not only does our solution eliminate these biting pests, but the same service also targets pesky, biting mosquitoes as well!
When you reach out to Advanced Pest Solutions for help getting rid of ticks, we will stop by to treat your property every month (April – September) focusing our efforts on where these pests breed and rest. This includes fence lines, trees, shrubs, bushes, ornamentals, transitional zones, and other hot spots we identify.
If you’re ready to enjoy your outdoor living space and don’t want to give ticks the opportunity to bite, contact our locally owned and operated pest control company today!