PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • March 11, 2026
Warmer weather returned to Maine this week — and so did the deer ticks. Griffin Dill, Tick Lab manager at the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, said on Tuesday, “We are hearing reports this week of people saying they’ve seen ticks crawling on themselves and their pets,” Dill said. “What is emerging now are adult deer ticks who have survived the overwinter and are now looking for a blood meal.” Deer ticks can transmit Lyme disease and other illnesses to humans. Maine logged a record 4,257 Lyme disease cases in 2025, and also reported 1,604 anaplasmosis and 352 babesiosis cases.