May 29—Research is showing there is a connection between the tick populations, the mice populations and the spread of Lyme disease in Maine. All three have been on the rise across the state and there is no indication of them slowing down anytime soon. Maine is home to several species of mice. Among them is the white-footed mouse, the primary carrier in New England of the bacteria that causes .
Tick populations are spreading, experts say sunjournal.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from sunjournal.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Bumper tick season arrives
ELLSWORTH
A not so favorite spring pastime for Mainers dealing with ticks is in full swing.
“We are getting lots and lots of tick calls and lots and lots of visits,” said Dr. Michael Murnik, a physician at Northern Light Primary Care Blue Hill. “Mostly we’re seeing lots of dog ticks.”
Dog ticks are the variety that do not transmit Lyme disease. Deer ticks transmit Lyme. Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium. Symptoms include fever, fatigue, headache and rash. If it is not treated, the infection can spread to joints, the heart and nervous system.
Read Article
Finnegan leads the way while hiking the trails at Hinckley Park in South Portland on Tuesday. In the background are Matt LaPointe of South Portland and his other dog, Augie.
ShawnPatrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
No one needs to tell Kristi Brewer that Maine is experiencing an early and robust dog tick season.
“They’re the bane of my existence,” said Brewer, a Saco resident and the owner of two Welsh Corgis.
Brewer gets flea and tick treatment for her dogs and this year hired a yard service to spray around her house to try to control the arachnids. She and her friend Matt LaPointe of South Portland, who is “co-parenting” Finnegan and Augie, are diligent about checking the dogs for ticks, but they haven’t found a solution to keeping the dogs, and themselves, tick-free.
Dog ticks having an early population boom in Maine centralmaine.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from centralmaine.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.