Highlights from Our March 5th Tick Prevention Presentation

By Justin Laurion Published: March 15, 2026

As Sheila reminded us earlier this month, the garden may look quiet, but the "roots are riotous" beneath the snow. At our lively March 5th meeting, Peter Arnold, Melissa Thornton, and Canny Cahn took a moment to remind us that the ticks aren't far behind. Now is the perfect time to prepare your personal prevention kit. This write-up is to ensure the vital information shared by our members reaches everyone in the club.

Peter’s Perimeter & Personal Protection

• Yard Maintenance: Peter uses Wondercide Flea and Tick on his yard perimeter and keeps the grass short, noting that reapplying after heavy rain is key.

• Clothing Treatment: He treats gardening clothes with Sawyer (Permethrin), which disrupts a tick's nervous system. One application lasts six weeks or six washings.

• Exposed Skin: Peter recommends Picaridin for skin and clothing openings (legs, arms, neck), even applying it to the hair and face for full coverage.

• The Daily Ritual: He reminded us that a hot shower and a thorough tick check immediately after gardening are the best final defenses.

  
  

Melissa’s "Insect Shield" Strategy Melissa provided a comprehensive look at the myths and realities of tick safety, along with a step-by-step guide for personal protection.

• Tips and Myths:

  • Not Just Lyme: While the CDC has focused on Lyme disease for 40 years, anaplasmosis and babesiosis are equally significant risks in our area.

  • The Invisible Threat: Nymph ticks (the young ones) are so tiny you may never see the tick that bites you.

  • They Don't Fly: Ticks do not fall from trees; they wait in tall grass and brush for a host to brush by.

  • Limited "Natural" Control: Keeping chickens or guinea fowl does not provide reliable long-term tick control for your property.
    

• How to Protect Yourself:

  • Wear Light Colors: This makes it much easier to spot a dark tick crawling on you before it reaches your skin.

  • Tuck It In: Tuck your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks to create a physical barrier.

  • Use the Dryer: When you come inside, put your clothes in a hot dryer for 10–15 minutes. High heat kills ticks; washing alone does not.

  • The 2-Hour Shower: Showering within two hours of coming indoors has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of getting a tick-borne disease.

  • Treated Apparel: Melissa recommends Insect Shield for permethrin-treated clothing. Her favorite "full protection" gear (like her coveralls) is EPA-registered to repel ticks and mosquitoes for up to 70 washings.

  
  

Canny’s Professional Resources

• Check your pets thoroughly after they've been outside.

• For those looking for professional organic yard treatments, Canny recommended her contact at David "Safeyard Organics" (207) 333-0681 as a trusted local resource for cedar oil spraying.

  
  

Proactive Tool: Tick Tubes

Tick Tubes are biodegradable tubes filled with permethrin-treated cotton. Local mice collect the cotton for nests, killing ticks on the mice without harming the animals. These tubes can be purchased in stores, online, or made DIY.

• When to place them: For the best results, place tubes twice a year: once in late spring (to target the first wave of nymphs) and again in late summer (to catch the next generation before winter).
  

Community Wisdom: Protecting Our Pollinators

During the meeting, several of our members who are local beekeepers shared their concerns about yard sprays. Based on their first-hand experience and expert recommendations, we can protect ourselves while reducing the impact on our bees.

• Timing Matters: Research confirms that timing your application can significantly reduce the risk to pollinators. Spray at Dusk or Dawn. Bees are most active during the warm, bright hours of midday. By spraying in the very early morning or at twilight, the treatment has time to dry before bees begin foraging.

• Target the Edges: Focus sprays on the brushy perimeters and tall grass where ticks hide, rather than on the flowering plants where bees work.

Do you have a favorite tick-repellent product or a safety tip we missed? Comment below and let us know!