What Is Lyme Disease?
If you live in Maine, you’ve probably heard plenty about deer ticks and Lyme disease. There’s a good reason for that. Lyme disease is the most commonly reported tick-borne disease in Maine, and blacklegged ticks—more commonly called deer ticks here—are responsible for spreading it to people.
Although our seasonal tick treatments are wrapping up for another year, each season is a reminder of how important tick prevention and control are for Maine homeowners. It’s also worth remembering that ticks are part of a larger cycle involving animals such as mice, which can carry the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.
That connection is one more reason both tick control and pest control around the home can play an important role—but first, let’s take a closer look at what Lyme disease is, how it spreads, and what residents in Auburn, Manchester, Boothbay Harbor, or elsewhere in Central or Coastal Maine should know.
What Is Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease is caused primarily by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. In Maine, it is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, also known as a deer tick.
Not every deer tick carries the bacteria that cause Lyme disease, and finding a tick on yourself does not automatically mean you have been exposed. How long an infected tick remains attached also matters. According to the CDC’s information on how Lyme disease spreads, infected blacklegged ticks generally need to remain attached for more than 24 hours to transmit the bacteria, which is why finding and removing ticks promptly is important.
How Do White-Footed Mice Fit Into Maine’s Lyme Disease Cycle?
This is where the Lyme disease cycle gets a little more complicated.
Blacklegged ticks generally don’t start life carrying the bacteria. Infected female ticks do not pass Borrelia burgdorferi to their offspring. Instead, young ticks can become infected when they feed on wildlife that is already carrying the bacteria.
In Maine, white-footed mice are especially important to this cycle. The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife identifies white-footed mice as important hosts for larval deer ticks and reservoirs for Lyme disease.
So how does the mouse become infected in the first place? An infected blacklegged tick can pass the bacteria to a mouse while feeding on it. Once a mouse is infected, other ticks that feed on it can pick up the bacteria.
Larval blacklegged ticks typically feed on small mammals. If an uninfected larva feeds on an infected white-footed mouse or another reservoir host, it can acquire Borrelia burgdorferi. The tick can then carry the bacteria as it develops into a nymph and potentially transmit them during a later blood meal.
White-footed mice aren’t the only small mammals involved. Deer mice can also carry Borrelia burgdorferi and pass it to feeding ticks. In fact, research conducted in Maine has shown that deer mice can serve as competent reservoir hosts. Chipmunks, voles, shrews, and other small mammals can also contribute to the cycle.
White-footed mice stand out as particularly important reservoir hosts for Lyme disease bacteria in Maine and much of the Northeast.
Deer play a different role. Adult blacklegged ticks commonly feed on deer, making deer important to tick survival, reproduction, and movement. However, deer do not
Deer Ticks and Lyme Disease in Maine
Lyme disease continues to be a significant concern in Maine. According to the Maine CDC, healthcare providers reported a record 4,257 cases of Lyme disease in 2025, based on preliminary data.
Blacklegged ticks are found throughout Maine. According to the University of Maine Cooperative Extension, they are most common in southern and coastal Maine, but their range has expanded inland and into northern parts of the state. They are commonly found in mixed forests, along woodland edges, and in suburban landscapes.
Nymphal deer ticks can be especially difficult to spot because they are only about the size of a poppy seed. Adults can also transmit Lyme disease, but their larger size can make them easier to see and remove.
For more information about deer ticks and other species you may encounter, check out our guide to types of ticks in Maine.
What Are the Symptoms of Lyme Disease?
Lyme disease symptoms can vary depending on how long the infection has been present.
According to the CDC’s Lyme disease symptom guidance, early symptoms can appear three to 30 days after the bite of an infected tick and may include:
Fever and chills
Headache
Fatigue
Muscle and joint aches
Swollen lymph nodes
An erythema migrans, or EM, rash
The EM rash is sometimes described as a bull’s-eye rash, but it doesn’t always look like a bull’s-eye. It may simply appear as an expanding red or discolored area on the skin. The CDC estimates that an EM rash develops in approximately 70% to 80% of people with Lyme disease.
If Lyme disease goes untreated, later symptoms can include:
Severe headaches and neck stiffness
Additional EM rashes on other areas of the body
Facial palsy
Arthritis with severe joint pain and swelling
Pain in muscles, joints, tendons, or bones
Heart palpitations or an irregular heartbeat
Dizziness or shortness of breath
Nerve pain
Shooting pains, numbness, or tingling
Inflammation involving the brain or spinal cord
If you develop symptoms after a tick bite or after spending time in an area where Lyme disease occurs, contact your healthcare provider.
Who Is at Greater Risk for Lyme Disease?
Anyone can encounter a deer tick in Maine, including in their own yard. Your potential exposure can increase when you:
Spend time in wooded, brushy, or grassy areas
Hike, garden, hunt, camp, or work outdoors
Spend time along woodland edges where ticks are common
Have leaf litter, brush, dense vegetation, or other tick-friendly habitat around your property
Do not check yourself for ticks after spending time outdoors
Leave an attached tick in place for an extended period
Because nymphal deer ticks are so small, they can easily go unnoticed.
How Can You Reduce Your Risk of Tick Bites?
There is no way to prevent every encounter with a tick, but there are several things you can do to reduce your exposure.
Around your property:
Keep your lawn mowed
Rake and remove piles of leaves
Clear brush and dense vegetation around frequently used areas
Move wood piles away from the house
Keep play equipment and outdoor living areas away from wooded edges when possible
Consider creating a barrier of wood chips or crushed stone between wooded areas and frequently used portions of the yard
The Maine CDC also recommends taking steps to reduce tick exposure around the home and checking for ticks after spending time outdoors.
When spending time outdoors:
Wear long sleeves and long pants when practical
Use an EPA-registered insect repellent according to label directions
Consider clothing and gear treated with permethrin
Check yourself, children, pets, clothing, and gear for ticks after spending time outdoors
Shower after coming indoors
Remove attached ticks as soon as you find them
Talk to your veterinarian about appropriate tick prevention for pets
Prompt tick checks are especially important because an infected blacklegged tick generally needs to remain attached for more than 24 hours before Lyme disease bacteria are transmitted.
Professional Tick Control in Maine
Even with good yard maintenance and regular tick checks, deer ticks can still be carried onto properties by mice, chipmunks, deer, birds, and other wildlife.
At Advanced Pest Solutions, we offer seasonal tick treatments for homes throughout Central and Coastal Maine. Our service targets both ticks and mosquitoes and starts with an inspection of the property to identify areas where these pests are most likely to be active.
We then perform monthly yard treatments from April through September, focusing on areas such as fence lines, shrubs, bushes, ornamentals, overgrowth, trees, areas beneath decks, and other potential hotspots identified during the inspection.
Professional tick treatments cannot prevent every tick from entering a property, especially when wildlife is moving through the area, but they can help reduce tick activity in the areas where you and your family spend time outdoors.
Reduce Tick Activity Around Your Maine Property
You don’t have to wait until you find a deer tick to start thinking about tick control.
If you saw a lot of ticks on your property this year and want to sign up for the upcoming season, contact us today to learn more or request a free quote.
This blog was originally published on May 2, 2022; it has been updated to include relevant information about white-footed mice, Lyme disease transmission, and current tick information in Maine