Be aware that ticks may become active any time the temperature is above freezing.

Identify Tick Habitats Around Your Home.

Deer ticks require a damp, humid environment to survive. Ticks are usually found in:

• Wooded areas & forest edges These areas are the most common deer tick habitat.
• Leaf Litter Humid conditions found under leaf litter provide an ideal living environment for ticks.
• Overgrown fields These areas provide an ideal habitat for both ticks and their hosts. Modify your environment by cutting lawns and removing leaf litter. Keep childrens’ play areas away from wooded edges and tall grass. Deer ticks will not thrive in sunlit areas.

When walking through tall grass or leaf litter, wear light colored clothing. LL Bean has an extensive line of BuzzOff treated clothing that will repel ticks and other insects. You can also apply Sawyer permethrin repellent to play or recreational clothes that will provide you and your family tick protection.  Insect repellent containing at least 20% DEET is also recommended for exposed skin.

Daily tick checks reduce your risk of contracting Lyme disease. Because of their small (poppy seed) size, nymph ticks present the greatest threat. You need to check yourself, your pets, and especially small children DAILY after outdoor activity, particularly in the months of May, June and July. When showering or bathing, do a full body inspection for a rash or attached ticks. Remember that the nymph tick is about the size of the head of a straight pin. Pay special attention to checking favorite tick spots, such as backs of knees, groin, waist, armpits, and the scalp. You may be able to feel the tick even if it is too small to see.

If you find a tick? If you spend time outdoors, you are apt to pick up a tick from time to time. Don’t panic if you do. Medical experts do differ on the time it takes for a tick to infect a host- ranging from 1 hour to up to 30 hours after the bite for infection to occur. If you perform a daily tick check, you greatly reduce your chances of contracting Lyme disease. Here’s how to remove a tick:

Using a pair of fine pointed tweezers, grasp the tick as close as possible to the skin. Pull straight out with a steady motion. A tick’s mouthpart is barbed like a fish-hook. It may take up to one minute applying steady pressure for the tick to let go. Avoid squishing the tick or pulling side-to side. Once removed: Wash the site thoroughly with soap and water, disinfect with antiseptic. Record the date on a calendar that the tick was removed. The Vector-borne Disease Laboratory at the Maine Medical Center Research Institute offers free tick identification. A tick submission form will be found at their website. Watch for early signs and symptoms of Lyme disease, which may include an expanding red rash, flu-like symptoms, and/or joint pain and swelling. Only 40% to 70% of Lyme disease victims may develop a rash within two days to four weeks. If untreated, more severe symptoms may develop, sometimes months to years later. Contact your physician immediately if you suspect Lyme disease. Send a Self Addressed Stamped Envelope (SASE) for a free Tick Identification Chart to: Mainely Ticks 48 William Knight Road, Windham, ME 04062

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