National Tick Awareness Month focuses on pests that are fitter, better, faster, stronger than ever
March is National Tick Awareness Month in Canada and the pesky pests more prevalent than ever before.
The campaign, first introduced by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association in 2016 in partnership with Merck Animal Health, is focused on telling the public ticks may be fitter, better, faster, and stronger.
Pet owners are wary of ticks no matter the season.
“I usually do think about it all year around,” says dog owner Andrea Groden. “Just because I am a dog owner and we have a ton of deer on our property.”
“We protect her year around,” says fellow dog owner Daniel Hamilton. “Because we know that ticks can gather even though it’s below temperatures, and with this coming temperatures they are always looking for a host.”
But with it being so early in the year, personal protection isn’t top of mind for everyone.
“To tell you the truth I wasn’t think about it at all,” admits resident Bob Harris. “Because my legs are too covered up to keep away from the cold but if it was a little bit warmer I might be concerned.”
The black-legged or deer tick, which is known for carrying the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease, is the greatest concern for Maritimers. While ticks are most prevalent in the summer months, veterinarian Dr. Maggie Brown-Bury says ticks can be active every season and any day the temperature reaches 4 C and above.
“It doesn’t matter if there is snow on the ground or what else is happening,” says Brown-Bury, who also sits on the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association council as the representative for Newfoundland and Labrador. “We want people to be aware as the season starts, not when we are in the peak of the season, so they are prepared for when every day is above four degrees.”
Brown-Bury says ticks numbers have risen in this part of the country in recent years, noting when she first starting working in Newfoundland in 2009, ticks were not on anyone’s mind.
Not only are ticks seemingly more active in colder temperatures, the tiny creatures also appear to have become more resilient in surviving harsh winters.
“As soon as it’s warm enough for ticks to be active, the ones you are most likely to be encountering are the ones that could infect you with Lyme disease,” Brown-Bury says.
Ticks do not fly or jump, so avoiding long grass or wooded areas is the best way to ensure you don’t have any tick troubles.
People can also tuck their pants into their socks while on walks to avoid ticks crawling up their legs, or use tick-specific repellant.
There are also medications and treatments that are available at most pet stores or veterinarian offices for pets. The best mitigation practice is to always do a thorough check of a pet when returning home from any walk.
“Some pets, if you are doing something different, it kind of freaks them out a little bit,” Dr. Brown-Bury notes. “So if you make it a part of your routine, especially somewhere where ticks are very much an issue, you can catch them while they are tiny and small and have just latched on. You are going to be doing a lot to help prevent problems.”
Brown-Bury urges residents to check out Tick Talk for more information.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Scheffler detained by police at PGA Championship for not following orders after traffic fatality
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was detained by police Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was led to a police car. ESPN reported he failed to follow police orders during a pedestrian fatality investigation.
Ontario sees first measles death in more than a decade after young child dies
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Vatican revamps norms to evaluate visions of Mary as it adapts to Internet age and combats hoaxers
The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion.
Wildfires are dampening against cool, rainy weather, but there's plenty left to contain
An opportune system of cool, wet weather Friday is dampening the spread of wildfires across Western Canada, but there's still plenty of work for responders and residents alike.
5 secrets to moving better and preventing avoidable injury
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from “moving wrong” during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.
Zach Bryan and girlfriend Brianna Chickenfry are 'happy and alive' after 'traumatizing' car accident
Zach Bryan and his girlfriend Brianna LaPaglia were involved in a scary car accident earlier this week, according to LaPaglia, who recalled the experience in a candid video posted to her TikTok page earlier this week.