Ticks are out in Maine in abundance, including here at Mount A. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t still enjoy the outdoors and everything the warmer months have to offer, as long as you stay aware and alert.
Precautions to avoid tick bites:
- Choose light-colored clothing that makes ticks easier to spot. Wear long sleeves and pants; tuck pant legs into socks and your shirt into your pants when walking in woods, brush, or tall grass. Deer ticks attach to clothing and move upward.
- Use an EPA-approved insect repellent.
- Walk in center of trails. Use caution in wooded and bushy areas with leaf litter.
- Do a tick check ANYTIME you have been outside! Inspect your skin, clothing, and pets for ticks and remove them promptly. Don’t miss scalp, ears, neck, armpits, behind knees and pelvic region. Have someone else check your back!
- Showering removes unattached ticks that you may not have found. Tumble dry garments on high heat for 10 minutes to kill any ticks remaining on clothes.
- If you spot an embedded tick, use a tick spoon or tweezers to grasp its mouth and pull out with steady pressure. Don’t use petroleum jelly, hot matches, or nail polish remover as this can increase the risk of infection. Wash any possible tick bites with soap and water and apply antiseptic.
More information about ticks and Lyme Disease can be found at the CDC website, here.
Last modified: October 2, 2020
