If you are a New-Englander, yearly warnings about the rampant tick population in the region and hearing methods of protecting yourself from Lyme disease on the local news are likely a normal part of your life. You probably think about ticks and the dangers they present whenever you are adventuring outdoors, especially at the end of those adventures when you finally retire and search your skin for any unwelcome visitors. Courtesy of Griffin Dill of the UMaine Cooperative Extension A female deer tick (left) and a nymph deer tick Approximately 14 U.S. states contain 95% of all cases of Lyme disease, and the six states comprising New England are among them. However, Connecticut is Lyme disease’s state-of-origin. The symptoms of Lyme disease and Lyme arthritis, including severe headache and neck stiffness, rashes, joint pain, swelling, and an irregular heartbeat, were first observed in this state in 1975, and the disease is even named after the town in Connecticut where it w...