ORONO -- University of Maine Cooperative Extension Tick Lab Coordinator Griffin Dill says that warmer temperatures this winter have pushed up the start of tick season.
"The winter allowed ticks to be active... and we're starting to see those increases in tick activity creep earlier and earlier into the spring," said Dill. "Five, six, eight years ago we may have seen this increase more so in the beginning of April, now we're seeing it in mid-March.
The lab identifies ticks sent in by members of the community and tests them for diseases.
Dill says the number of samples submitted for testing has increased steadily since the start of the new year.
"During those winter months they just trickle in," said Dill. "Now we're receiving anywhere from five, 10, 20 a day. As temperatures rise we'll get 100 to 150 ticks a day."
He also says if Maine's mild winters continue, that could mean a rise in the state's tick population in the years ahead.
"Whether that translates into more tick encounters with humans is hard to say," said Dill. "But over time as we see that tick season expand, it could potentially allow them to reproduce in greater numbers in future years."
To ward off ticks, Dill says to fully cover your skin, use CDC-approved repellent and check yourself and your pets for ticks when coming in from the outdoors.
"We don't want people to be afraid of going outdoors, but we want them to take some of those precautions against ticks and they're associated pathogens," said Dill.
To submit a tick, visit the lab's website. For more on tick safety, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's page on ticks.