Despite A Bitter Winter, Ticks Are Back In Maine And More Dangerous Than Ever

You may be under the assumption that after a particularly brutal winter that featured freezing temperatures, ice storms and plenty of snow, that the tick population here in Maine may have taken a hit. Better think again.

According to the Bangor Daily News, experts are warning that the tick population in Maine, and the rest of New England, actually had a terrific winter thanks to all the snow. They were blanketed from the extreme cold, and that will make them plentiful this Spring and Summer, perhaps in the largest numbers we've ever seen statewide.

Making matters worse is all the disease that ticks carry and have been passing along to human beings in record numbers. The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention says that Lyme disease has been transmitted from tickets at a 30% increase over the last decade. In just the past few years, there have been additional diseases, including anaplasmosis, that have been passed on to humans by ticks. Some of those diseases are even worse than Lyme.

The Maine CDC took to Facebook to remind people that tick season isn't just the summer, it's happening now. Be extra careful when hiking or dog walking through tall grass or brush. And make sure to check your shoes, socks and pants thoroughly when returning home from a day outdoors.