The dreaded tick season is now seven months out of the year in Maine. According to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, adult ticks are active April to June, then babies, or nymphs, are active May to July. Then the activity dies down until they mature in October to December.

Along with ticks comes the inevitable fear of tick-borne illnesses, particularly Lyme disease, which the Maine CDC expects to increase in caseload every year. It is an unwelcome synchronicity with warmer average temperatures brought about by climate change.

In 2024, the Maine CDC reported a record-high 3,218 preliminary cases of Lyme disease, up from 2,904 in 2023. Back in 2012, there were 1,100 cases documented, which was an all-time high up to that point. Along with Lyme, the state CDC reported hundreds of cases of other tick-borne diseases including anaplasmosis and babesiosis.

According to Joe Hyland, General Manager of Modern Pest’s Katahdin office, ticks used to be most prevalent in York, Cumberland and Knox counties. “Now, we see them in all 16 counties in Maine. The season is starting earlier and lasting longer,” he said. “People need to be careful.”

Being careful includes—but isn’t limited to—Hyland’s further advice:

• Regularly and thoroughly check for ticks after spending time outdoors
• Avoid brushing up against bushes, trees and high grass; on hiking trails, for example, walk in the center
• Following instructions, apply repellent with DEET
• Wear light colored clothing so you can see ticks that latch onto you
• Wear tight cuffs at sleeves and tuck pant legs into socks
• If you have wooded property to manage, cut back foliage and Modern Pest Services can spray your landscaping and around your home

The latter is especially important because contrary to popular belief, ticks don’t jump, fly or climb. Instead, they latch on to a leaf or tall blade of grass and wave their front two legs in hopes of finding a mammal to latch onto. Officially called “questing,” they work quickly, silently and easily go unnoticed.

What do you do when they quest for you?

If a tick does bite you, don’t panic. The CDC says a tick must be attached for at least 24 hours to transmit Lyme. So, if you do find one in close inspection of yourself, someone else, or your dog, Johns Hopkins Medical School advises the following:

• Don’t touch the tick with your bare hand
• Use a pair of tweezers to remove the tick: grab it firmly by its mouth or head as close to your skin as possible
• Pull up slowly and steadily without twisting until it lets go; don’t squeeze the tick, and don’t use petroleum jelly, solvents, knives or a lit match to kill the tick
• Save the tick in a plastic bag so it can be tested for disease, if needed
• Wash the bite area well with soap and water, then apply an antiseptic to the site
• Call your healthcare provider

The ultimate protection from Lyme disease is to stop a tick from ever latching on. Remember to always check for ticks during and after your own quests for outdoor fun, whether it’s spring, summer or fall.