I never thought of writing an article about ticks, but the situation seems pricklier than ever, so it is tick talk time. May is also tick awareness month, so timing could not be better. Ticks are nasty blood suckers that carry infectious diseases in their gut that can be transmitted to a host while feeding and are best avoided in livestock, pets, and people. Different types of ticks have been shown to be associated with different pathogens. Lyme disease for example is the pathogen often associated with the blacklegged tick.
Shaun Dergousoff, with Agriculture Canada in Lethbridge, AB has been studying how two tick types in Western Canada, the Rocky Mountain wood tick, and the American dog tick, have been changing range.
What he has found is the range of each is expanding and are starting to overlap. Historically, Rocky Mountain wood ticks were found in parts of western Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, and the American dog tick, central Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and southern Ontario. Warmer temperatures are attributed to some of the expansion, but human activity is determined to be another potential culprit. Ticks can not get far on their own, but with the help of a host like cattle, horses, and dogs to facilitate and a warmer more hospitable climate, range expansion is happening.
How to safely remove a tick:
- Using a pair of fine-tipped tweezers, gently grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Taking care not to squeeze the body, grasp the tick by the mouth parts and pull directly up and out of the skin. Not squeezing the body is important as disease lives in the gut of the tick.
- Once the tick has been removed, wash the area with soap and water, followed by an antiseptic.
- Check to ensure that no pieces of the tick have remained embedded in the skin.
- For more information, please visit https://canlyme.com/lyme-prevention/tick-removal/
Even better than tick removal is to AVOID allowing ticks to attach in the first place. For people, wear long pants and sleeves and walk with a friend who watches your back for ticks and vice versa.
How to identify a tick species:
How to test a tick for Lyme and tick-borne diseases: