Why are the ticks so bad this year? (Portland, Brunswick: health, property)

[Mark S.]

In past years, we've had many 2 or 3 during the whole spring/summer season.

This year, we're not even through April yet, and we've already had 4. Every time the kids are outside for more than 15 minutes, they come inside with at least 1 tick crawling on their clothes.

[namder1]

I have been checking my dog and myself regularly but haven't seen one yet. But the snow really just went a week ago. Where are you located??

[Zymer]

Yeah, we picked up a couple when we were out in the field taking the beehives apart yesterday.

[Maine Writer]

Originally Posted by namder1

I have been checking my dog and myself regularly but haven't seen one yet. But the snow really just went a week ago. Where are you located??

We have winter ticks.

[Radio Flyer]

I haven't seen any YET either.

[Mark S.]

Originally Posted by namder1

I have been checking my dog and myself regularly but haven't seen one yet. But the snow really just went a week ago. Where are you located??

The edge of Brunswick.

Our property does front a small wetland, so we have more than our fair share of bugs, but we've never had this many ticks this early in the year.

[Coaster]

Winters now, especially along the coast, are too mild to kill off ticks the way they used to. One of the first cases of Lyme Disease in Maine was in South Harpswell back in the 1980s as the frigid winters of the 1970s gave way to the milder winters that we've had ever since. The ticks showed up on the islands and ends of the peninsulas first and then gradually moved inland and north. Now Lyme is reported in every county in Maine. I'm glad our dog has become more of an indoor pet as she ages, but our cat is going to be a problem this year.

I see an integrative health MD in Portland, and a good percentage of his patients are long-term Lyme sufferers who come to him for alternative health treatments after the "regular" doctors have given up.

[lovemaine]

I haven't found any on my dogs yet. I've talked to a few people who have removed several ticks from their dogs. I just ordered K-9 Advantix online. It's the only thing that seems to really work. When we first moved to Maine 4 years ago, I still used Frontline. It didn't work well anymore, so I switched. I've had much more luck with the new stuff.

[namder1]

I like Advantix too but my vet doesn't sell it.....what website did you use lovemaine?

[broadbill]

Was recently at the vet and they said the ticks have become resistant to Frontline. We just switched to Advantix as well.