Thanks, Maine CDC. I May Never Eat A Poppyseed Muffin Ever Again.

Tick season is well underway and people are getting quite a season.

The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention are ramping up their 'Stop. Check. Prevent.' campaign to encourage people to form the habit of checking themselves for ticks to avoid diseases carried by the ticks that can get transmitted to humans.

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On Saturday, the Maine CDC reminded us on social media to 'Stop. Check. Prevent' when it comes to tick season with a visual. In this Facebook post, they want to make the citizens of Maine aware of how small a deer tick nymph is, which is a tick in it's young adult stage. It is a great visual to make you aware of how tiny they are and what to look out for when checking yourself for ticks but, they may have ruined the appetite for those who love their poppy seed muffins.

The post reads:

Deer tick nymphs, or the teenage stage of the tick, are only about the size of a poppy seed. Nymphs are most active in late spring and summer, so make sure you do a tick check after spending time outside! For more information on ticks in Maine, visit www.maine.gov/dhhs/vectorborne. #ticks #Lyme #Maine

This text was accompanied by a picture of a poppy seed muffin littered with a few deer tick nymphs, just to show the relative size of the tick nymph compared to a poppy seed.

Point taken. Appetite disturbed.

We appreciate the heads up and the memorable comparison as to what to look for when checking ourselves for ticks but, I don't think the citizens of Maine will be able to eat a poppy seed muffin for quite some time.