Maine’s Warm Winter Likely to Trigger a Tick Explosion This Year

For real, ticks just weren't really a thing when I was a kid.

As adults in Maine, we talk about this idea all the time... that as a kid, we never worried about ticks. I would see commercials on TV for collars for dogs and cats that would occasionally mention ticks, but I honestly didn't even really know what they were. I thought they were just some bug other places had to worry about. Like scorpions, or something like that.

I also cannot honestly remember though, when they did finally start to become an issue. But it was like the universe just flipped a switch, and they were everywhere. But once they caught hold, it became Maine's greatest enemy. But even then, the cold winters seemed to be doing their job and decimating them.

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Winter ain't what it used to be, apparently.

In Maine, ticks have pretty much become a year-round thing. And with the kind of winter we've had this year, with very little snow and borderline extreme warmth, not only have ticks not gone away, it's likely increased their ability to reproduce. Without the meteorological barrier, ticks will be able to firmly plant themselves into our spring and summer, which could lead to more cases of Lyme Disease and other tick related illnesses.

We've already been picking them off ourselves and our pets at various points this winter when the ground was uncovered and barely frozen. But to properly eradicate them, it has to be snowy and cold. Even right now, if you have areas of your yard that have melted, there's a solid chance you may see ticks.

Sadly, there's not a whole heck of a lot we can do, except grin and bare it. Ticks have become an ongoing problem that will probably plague us from now on. But this year, with almost no snow at all, we could see numbers like we have never seen previously. Only time will tell. Cross your fingers and we'll see how it all shakes out.

When summer does hit and you wanna travel, try not to bring ticks in your carry-on...