Tick season in Maine becomes more of a concern each year as tick borne illnesses are on the rise.  Here are some tips on prevention and tick removal.

Prevention

• Wear light colored clothing to find ticks easily
• Wear EPA-approved insect repellent on skin or clothing
• Treat dogs & cats as recommended by your vet
• Check for ticks daily during the season (April – August), under arms, in and around ears, inside belly button, behind knees, between legs, around waist and on hairline and scalp.
• Shower soon after being outdoors

Tick Removal

Remove ticks immediately.  Ticks need to attach for 24 hours to transmit Lyme disease.  Consult your family practitioner if you remove an engorged deer tick.

• Use a tick spoon, apply slight pressure downward on the skin and “frame” the tick in the spoon notch, then continue to slide the spoon to detach the tick.
• Use tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and gently pull until the tick lets go.

In general, it is not recommended to take antibiotics following a tick bite, instead a person who has experienced a tick bite should be alert for symptoms suggestive of tick borne illness and consult your family practitioner if fever, rash or other symptoms develop.

Deer Tick Identification

For more information see Tick ID information from Maine Public Health.