This is probably no surprise to you if you live in the state of Maine but here it is. If you are planning to spend your summer at Acadia National Park you need to plan as if you are heading into the Maine woods and that means ' tick repellent'

Example courtesy of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Example courtesy of the University of Maine Cooperative Extension
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Fact is many parks on the east coast have come up positive for the little devils that can contaminate their host with Lyme Disease.  The culprit is the Blacklegged ticks --also known as deer ticks--  these little vacation spoilers were found in nine national parks: This is the first time researchers have confirmed that the ticks are living at the parks, and CBS says this is also the first large scale survey in multiple national parks. The national parks named include:

  • Acadia National Park in Maine
  • Catoctin Mountain Park and Monocacy National Battlefield in Maryland
  • Fire Island National Seashore in Long Island, N.Y.
  • Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania
  • Rock Creek Park in Washington, D.C.
  • Manassas National Battlefield Park, Prince William Forest Park
  • Shenandoah National Park in Virginia.

It seems that everyday I meet someone else in Maine that has been diagnosed with Lyme Disease and the effects can be very debilitating. Good news is with a little foresight you can still enjoy the great Maine outdoors anywhere.  There are many over the counter tick repellents and if you aren't into the whole chemical scene there are also some very effective DIY options against both ticks and mosquitos.

The U Maine Cooperative Extension also has a lot of information about what to do and how to protect yourself and your family.

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