Everything is Covered in Yellow Pollen But You Probably Aren’t Allergic to It

It's everywhere. On cars, outdoor furniture, decks, and floating in the water. We're in the thick of the season here in Maine where everything is coated in yellow pollen. But where does it all come from exactly and is it really making you cough and sneeze?

According to pollen.com, allergy levels are high right now but they certainly aren't at their worst this season. That was back in May and it was a different type of allergen.

The yellow stuff you're seeing on the ground is coming from pine trees, and it coats everything. We are after all The Pine Tree State. But according to The Crossville Chronicle it's probably not responsible for your allergies:

Pine pollen is large and heavy and drops quickly to the ground, which is why it coats everything. But, because it drops out of the air quickly and also because it has a waxy coating, it usually isn’t a cause of allergies. The main cause of your sneezing is all of the other trees that are producing pollen at the same time.

Those other sources of allergens on the first day of summer are oak and grasses.

So they yellow stuff is really just annoying more than anything else. You'll need to wash your car constantly and wipe things down to keep it clean, but it's not very likely doing so is going to cure those sniffles.