Central Maine Woman Invents Ingenious Anti-Tick Product

Sadly, earlier this week, we leaned that a resident of Maine's Waldo County had succumbed to the tick-born Powassun virus.  While it was not confirmed, he or she most likely got the virus after being bitten by a tick that was carrying the virus.

In recent years, ticks have become a major problem for us in New England.  Much of that has to do with the milder winters we have been having.  Lacking the extended deep freezes that we used to have, the ticks have multiplied and spread.

A woman from Dresden, Maine has found a way to protect her loved ones, and others, from ticks and tick-born illnesses.

According to Fox TV in Bangor, 74 year old Jane Gower loves to go for walks in the woods with Wags, her dog.  Returning from one trip, she noticed her legs were covered with ticks!  She explained to the news crews that she had over fifty of them on her legs.  Fortunately, she did not get bitten by any of them.  But, after that incident, she knew she had to do something to protect herself, and others, from ticks.

That's when she came up with MaineJane's Tacklers.

The product is so simple that it is brilliant!  They are strips of adhesives that wrap around your legs.  Think flypaper for ticks.  When a tick attempts to jump on you, they get stuck to the tape.  They are unable to bite through the tape and they are unable to leap farther up to get at  exposed skin.  When you get done your walk, or other outdoor activity, you just peel the strips off your legs and throw them away.

For the last year or so, she has been selling the products in several local stores.  Recently, she has been shipping them to Australia, too.  You can order them online on her website.