Maine & New Hampshire Could See More Ticks This Year

It seems like we have seen an increase in the tick population in the last few years.  Having lived in either Maine or New Hampshire for the majority of my life, I don't remember really hearing about ticks being a problem before the last five-ish years.  That's me, though.  Maybe it was a problem before, but I just never heard about it.

Well, it looks like recent weather patterns could lead to us having a really bad year for ticks.

According to the KJ, as a whole, Maine had one of the mildest winters in recent years.  This is especially true in the southern part of the state.  While the Portland area had sub-zero temperatures in January, there was at least one day in February where that part of Maine hit temperatures in the mid-60s.

The same is true for the Central and Mid-Coast parts of Maine.  While there were a few significant snow storms, many of the winter's storms brought only a small amount of snow and lots of rain.  And, typically, the snow that did fall, did not stick around for very long.

The only place where Maine really had a "winter" was in the far northern part of the state.  Up in The County.

New Hampshire experienced similar conditions.  The coastal part of the state did see a few decent sized storms, but the snow did not stick around long.  The mountains, however, did see a decent amount of snow.

The mild winter, and the early spring-like conditions could lead to an increase in the tick population this year.  As you probably know, the major concern with ticks is not the bite of the insect itself, it is the diseases the ticks carry.  Lyme Disease, for example.

You can protect yourself from ticks by wearing long pants with tighter cuffs when you walk through the woods or taller grasses.  And, make sure you frequently check your outdoor dogs and cats for ticks.