With temperatures on the rise, enjoying the outdoors will become a more frequent activity, and so should checking for ticks.
Nova Scotia is expected to be a hot spot for the pesky parasite this season. Researchers say there may well be more ticks than usual this spring as the cold snap over the winter was not enough to put a damper on their numbers.
“We’re expecting the same population of ticks if not even higher since we got quite a mild winter,” says Dr. Nicoletta Faraone, an assistant professor in the chemistry department at Acadia University.
Mount Allison University biology professor Dr. Vett Lloyd agrees it the winter brought about some unusual circumstances relating to the pests.
“They were out and about very late into the season,” Lloyd says. “We had tick recoveries well into January, which is unprecedented. ”
They warn a higher population means the diseases ticks carry are also on the rise, including Lyme Disease, which is spread through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks.
Most of Nova Scotia and parts of New Brunswick are considered at high risk for Lyme Disease.
The blood-thirsty critters prefer to hide in tall grass, low shrubs, and along the edge of wooded areas.
Basically, they like to be in areas of nature where they know they’ll cross paths with potential hosts like humans and pets. They’re drawn to chemical cues such as body odours, CO2 emissions and animal urine.
“The blacklegged tick is called a passive hunter because it just hangs on grass blades waiting for us to pass by and just grab us if we happen to brush our legs on that section of grass,” says Faraone.
But she and Lloyd say that doesn’t mean people need to be afraid of ticks.
There are tips and tricks you can follow to stay safe.
“It’s very manageable: by wearing repellant products, wearing proper clothing, and doing our tick checks,” explains Faraone.
Tick checks include stripping off layers of clothing when you get inside and checking your skin for the parasite.
“You’re looking at your body closely for things that look like a freckle,” says Lloyd. “But a freckle that wasn’t there the day before and a freckle that has legs.”
People can also put their clothes on high heat in the dryer to help kill off any ticks that may have hitched a ride.
Anyone who does spot a blacklegged tick on their body after an outdoor adventure should head to their local pharmacy or doctor for advice.
Both Nova Scotia and New Brunswick governments say they’re gearing up to launch their updated tick-prevention campaigns for the season.
“We live in an incredible part of the world — enjoy it,” says Lloyd. “And at the end of the day, do your tick check.”
Last year, there were more than 2,100 reported cases of Lyme disease across Canada.
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