It’s tick season: Here’s what you need to know.

Enjoy the outdoors while staying tick-aware.

Maine’s warm months are perfect for hiking, gardening, cookouts and spending time at camp. But they also mean you’re more likely to run into ticks.

Blacklegged ticks, also known as deer ticks, are common in Maine and can spread Lyme disease and other illnesses. A few easy habits can help you avoid bites and know what to do if you find a tick.

Heading outside?

Taking a few simple steps before and after being outdoors can help protect you and your family from ticks:

• Use an EPA-registered insect repellent that contains DEET or picaridin. Be sure to follow the label instructions for safe use.
• Wear light-colored clothing to spot ticks more easily. If you’ll be walking through tall grass or brush, tuck your pants into your socks.
• Stay near the center of trails when you can.
• After coming inside, check yourself, your kids, your clothes, your gear and your pets for ticks.
• Try to shower within two hours of coming inside. This can help wash off ticks that haven’t attached yet and gives you another chance to check your skin.

Found a tick? Remove it right away.

You don’t have to wait to see a doctor. The sooner you remove an attached tick, the better.

• Use clean, fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick as close to your skin as possible without squeezing its body.
• Pull straight up with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or crush the tick.
• Dispose of the tick by placing it in a sealed container, wrapping it tightly in tape, flushing it down the toilet or putting it in alcohol.
• Don’t use petroleum jelly, heat, nail polish or other substances to make the tick detach. These methods can delay removal and may irritate the tick, causing it to release infected fluid into the skin.

After you remove the tick.

Clean the bite area and your hands with soap and water, rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. Then take a few minutes to check the rest of your body for other ticks.

For the next 30 days, watch for symptoms such as:

• Fever, headache, muscle or joint pain, fatigue or weakness.
• A new or spreading rash.
• Redness, swelling, drainage or increasing pain around the bite.

If you notice any of these symptoms, contact your Martin’s Point Health Care Center. Your care team can help you decide what to do next.

Learn more about tick bites and tick-borne illnesses.