Ticks: a tiny but dangerous threat we can't ignore. As outdoor enthusiasts in Maine, we're all aware of their nuisance, but their rapid population growth and the rise of tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease are alarming. Climate change is amplifying this crisis.
Andrew Donovan, associate VP of Infection Prevention at Northern Light Health unpacked how crucial it is to stay informed and take proactive measures to protect ourselves and our loved ones on a recent Sustainable Healthcare podcast (
listen here). “Ticks can be quite resilient to climate,” Donovan says. “Warmer weather typically means that the ticks are surviving through the colder months.”
If you’ve spent any time outdoors in Maine, you know ticks are showing up farther north in our state and earlier in the year. They are more than just a nuisance and can carry diseases like Lyme disease, Anaplasmosis, and Babesiosis. With one of the highest rates of Lyme disease in the country, Maine saw more than 1,500 cases in 2021, a significant increase from the 1000 cases we saw in 2008.
Lyme disease can be difficult to diagnose with symptoms like fatigue, fever, and muscle aches, which are common in several other conditions. Joint pain and neurological issues can be long-term symptoms. Children who play outside and people who work outdoors are particularly at risk of being exposed to ticks.
If you encounter an attached tick, use tweezers to slowly extract the tick including the head (do not twist). If the head remains under the skin, it can still hold the risk of infection. You can send the tick to
The University of Maine Cooperative Extension to test for disease, which can help identify the level of risk. If you experience symptoms, you can visit a
Northern Light Health physician who can diagnose, treat, and provide potential interventions.
To prevent tick bites, Donovan recommends doing regular tick checks, and tucking your pants into your socks if you are outside for long periods of time. Before going inside, he recommends using a sticky lint roller even if you don’t see any ticks. “Some of these ticks can be really tiny, and this is a way of grabbing them and taking them off your clothing,” he adds. You can use insect repellant, but if you use Permethrin to treat your clothing, be mindful to avoid using it around waterborne areas, as it’s toxicity can affect the wildlife and surrounding habitat. Keep your grass short and remove leaf litter to disrupt areas where ticks may lie.
To learn more, listen to our Sustainable Healthcare podcast, where we discuss the relation between the spread of ticks across Maine and the changing climate.
https://northernlighthealth.org/MISC/Podcast/Sustainable-Healthcare/2025/What-ticks-you-off-An-increase-in-vector-borne-dis