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March 17, 2022
In just a few days we’ll be welcoming spring in Maine which means eventually we’ll see warmer temps, melting snow, and green lawns. Are you already dreaming of relaxing on the deck, watching the kids play in the yard, and absorbing all the Vitamin D you can? Though we don’t really like to be a Debbie Downer, we’d be remiss if we did not issue a spring pest warning. Unfortunately, the arrival of spring coincides with increasing tick activity.
Types of ticks in Maine
According to the University of Maine website, fifteen different ticks species have been found in our state. Thankfully, not all of them are year-round residents or have been able to gain a foothold here. The most commonly encountered types of ticks in Maine are:
- Blacklegged Ticks AKA Deer Ticks
- American Dog Ticks
- Woodchuck Ticks
Tickborne diseases in Maine
- The deer tick is the primary vector of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and Borrelia Miyamoto(a relapsing fever illness), and Powassan virus.
- American dog ticks can transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and tularemia although they are not known to carry either in Maine.
- The woodchuck tick can transmit Powassan virus.
How quickly can you get Lyme disease or another tickborne illness?
Transmission of Lyme disease usually starts between 24-72 hours of tick attachment and the longer an infected tick is attached, the more likely it is to pass on an infection.
Transmission times for other tickborne illnesses range from 15 minutes to 36 hours. Of course, this is data pulled from the Maine CDC and they made sure to note that the timeframes were documented in mice or other rodents and could be different for humans.
Removing an embedded tick
To remove an embedded tick, you’ll need fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal spoon. Here’s the process if you opt for tweezers:
- Grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible with your tweezers then pull upward applying steady, even pressure.
- If the ticks mouthparts break off and remain in the skin, use your tweezers to remove them.
To remove an embedded tick using a tick removal spoon, you should:
- Place the spoon on the skin with the notch near the tick.
- Apply a slight downward pressure on the skin and then slide the spoon forward so that the tick is in the notched part of the spoon.
- Continue by sliding the spoon forward to detach the tick.
- Check to make sure you got the whole tick and that there are no mouthparts left behind.
Identifying & testing the tick for disease
If you’d like to have a removed tick identified and tested for disease, the University of Maine Cooperative Extension offers free tick identification and state of engorgement service. Visit their Tick Lab website for instructions on how to submit a tick.
How to keep ticks off your property and away from your family
At Pine State Pest Solutions, we offer tick control solutions in Auburn, Portland, and throughout our multi-county service area that are designed to drastically reduce tick populations on our customers’ yards, lawns, and properties.
When you sign up for our seasonal tick yard treatments, we’ll come out in April or May to apply product to your yard, lawn, and fence line if applicable. We’ll also treat low brush, surrounding fields, woods, and other hot tick zones on your property.
In June or July, depending on your treatment schedule, we’ll stop by again to treat in the same manner and targeting the same areas.
Finally, we’ll perform your fall tick treatment in September or October (again depending on your treatment schedule).
For a more in-depth look at Pine State’s tick treatments, please refer to this article, Maine Tick Control: A Guide To Seasonal Tick Treatments.
What about the mosquitoes?
Of course, we cannot have warm weather and not expect mosquitoes. That’s why Pine State Pest Solutions offers a solution that targets both ticks and mosquitoes in one seasonal program.
Don’t wait for the ticks to bite, sign up today!
Here at Pine State, we’ve been getting calls daily inquiring about our tick control services or signing up to make sure their families are protected when these biting pests start moving. If you’d like to learn more about our solution for ticks and/or mosquitoes, please contact our locally owned Maine pest control company today!
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