I recall having lunch with a friend and we were chatting about ticks and upcoming events, when a woman stopped by our table, apologized for interrupting our lunch and said, “I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. Can I ask you a question?” Happens everywhere I go. Six years after starting this advocacy journey and I still get stopped in the grocery store to answer questions or thank people for reading my column. Some heard me on the radio or saw me on tv. I get phone calls and emails from people daily, asking for help getting connected to resources to be able to gain their health back.

Why are ticks and tick-borne diseases still a front burner conversation? Aside from the fact that Maine is an endemic state and we still have growing numbers of new cases of tick-borne diseases, ticks do not discriminate. Yeah yeah yeah Paula, you’ve told us that before and we know that we have to wear repellent on our skin and treat our clothing with Permethrin. We know to treat our pets and to call a pest control company to treat our yards so we can spend outdoors. We get it!

So why continue to have this column? Well, in a nutshell, we know what we need to do but some fail to do it. Everywhere we look, the media is consumed with news about Covid-19, wearing masks and socially distancing. Even with facts and speculations, we know what we need to do to protect ourselves, but we don’t always do it. I’m not going to shame anyone. I’m pointing out a fact that when most people reach out to me for help after having a tick encounter, I am being told that they didn’t wear repellents. They volunteer this information to me and it in no way impacts whether or not I help someone. Like I stated before, ticks do not discriminate. They find their host by scent. Repellents on your skin blocks your scent. It’s that simple.

On a recent call, I was told the reason they didn’t wear repellent was because they were at a family picnic on the lake, in and out of the water, sitting on the picnic table having a bbq lunch with friends. Remember, ticks thrive in moist areas and if they can smell you, they can find you, especially in these hot and humid days. Sawyer makes a natural product called Picaridin and it’s sold online and in most hardware stores. It lasts up to 12 hours and goes on before you put your sunscreen on and its safe for both adults and children.

So, when you’re planning your next outing, take a few minutes and apply your prevention products. I always get calls in the fall from summer visitors who returned home only to discover that they were bitten by a tick and contracted a tick-borne disease. Not all medical providers can properly diagnose and treat which makes it harder for those in states where Lyme literate providers are few and far between.

As always, I welcome your feedback and you can reach me at paula@mldse.org and for more information about ticks, diseases, testing and referral, visit www.mldse.org