Hearing a lot of screams of tick encounters and I even got a phone call asking if they're active earlier this year.

Remember: Ticks become active when temps are above freezing — 32F+ — and they start seeking out their blood meals.

Stop looking at the calendar ~ watch the temperature and pull out your prevention products.

People ask me what I use:

–Apply repellent every day to your skin. Always wash off at end of day, reapply fresh every morning. 

–Treat your clothing with Permethrin (or buy Permethrin-infused clothing) Companies like LLBean, Cabellas, Target, Walmart and (Maine company) Dognotgone make Permethrin-infused apparel for people and pets that repel ticks through 70 washes

–Treat your pets If you're picking ticks off your pets, it's not working! They can transmit ticks into your home and bite you while you sleep!

–Use products to clean your home that have natural repellents like Mrs Meyers (rosemary, lemongrass, eucalyptus)

–Hire a pest control company or do it yourself with an array of spray/powder/granule products that repel ticks. Keep your lawn mowed short and leaf liter raked into the woods (ticks nest under and thrive in moist leaf piles)

–Always do your tick checks when you come in from being outdoors.

–Toss your clothing in dryer for 10 minutes on high heat. (Remember ticks thrive in moist conditions so washing doesn't kick them). Dryer first.

–If you get a tick bite, remove tick and send it off to be tested (instructions on website).  Boost your immune system while you wait for tick testing results. Knowing what you've been exposed to is crucial to early diagnosis and proper treatment should you become symptomatic.

Prevention is key to staying tick-free!

For more prevention information, including the proper way to remove a tick and what you should do if you have a tick encounter, and for referrals to Lyme literate providers, visit our website: www.mldse.org