Time to VOTE: Regular Sized Maine Ticks or Make Them 6-Feet?

The question of whether or not Maine should keep their vexing and invasive tick neighbors the size they are currently or discover a way to increase them all to be up to 6-feet big was posed during a heated debate during the morning show on Q106.5. 

You might be asking why? We're right there with you, and with no answer to offer. What we can do, is argue that this is certainly an issue to consider as getting rid of ticks would be a blessing to so many pet owners and outdoor lovers.

The Clear Benefits of Having Ticks in Maine Being Up to 6-Feet Large

There is a glaringly clear advantage to increasing the size of ticks. As it sits currently, the 15 species of ticks in Maine (not are all permanent residents) range in sizes between approximately 1/8 of an inch to 1/4 of an inch. They are almost always impossible to feel when they are crawling on your body AND when they pierce your skin, which logistically makes zero sense and is absolutely terrifying.

With ticks in Maine being up to 6-feet large, they would be much easier to see, and they lose their ability of stealth attacks. Ticks that large would also become significantly easier to hunt and eradicate. With the number of skilled hunters in the beautiful state of Maine, many could presume that the elimination process of this sometimes-deadly little terrorist would be quite swift.

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There Would Be Cons to Increasing the Size of Maine Ticks to 6-Feet Large

Of course, to any seemingly easy solution, there would be cons to increasing Maine ticks to the size of up to 6-feet large. The most significant challenge would be the current population of ticks in Maine. Simply put, there are so many that it isn't possible to put a concrete number to the tick population. In 2022, biologists were tracking moose calves, and they lost 90% of the tracked moose calves to the disgusting heads of ticks. Ticks are EVERYWHERE!

Another glaringly obvious issue with increasing tick body size in Maine up to 6-feet would be how quickly ticks reproduce. After feeding on a host, adult female ticks look for a mate to reproduce with where the male tick will (well you know). The female ticks typically lay their eggs in the springtime, capable of producing thousands of offspring.

READ MORE: Can Ticks Really Regrow Their Bodies?

If you are not understanding why this would be a huge challenge, let me try to break this down family-friendly style. With potentially millions of ticks up to 6-feet roaming and looking to "get it on" around Maine, many of us are likely to witness the reproductive process ... and several times. If you think just simply seeing a disgusting solo tick crawling on your body is appalling ... just wait.

The one positive takeaway, despite the thousands of eggs that would be laid, the eggs would be easy to find and could quickly be destroyed.

Now that we have presented our case, how do you vote? Keep the ticks at their current size, or let's increase them to up to 6-feet so we can have a fighting chance against an enemy that we otherwise wouldn't, see? Click here to place your vote and we will share the results Monday morning!