Warmer than usual temperatures point to tick troubles ahead for the Maritimes: Researcher

Unseasonably warm temperatures in the Maritimes are strong reminders that spring is on its way.

It is also a sign that this year’s tick season could be one of the worst, which means a greater chance of contracting Lyme disease.

Tick expert Vett Lloyd told CTV News Thursday climate change is a big contributor to the tick problem now and it will continue to accelerate the spread and growth of tick populations.

Even the brief record-breaking cold temperatures earlier this month, will likely not be enough to keep numbers down, according to Lloyd.

“A lot of people thought maybe the cold snap would kill the ticks, but you’ve got to get down to at least -10 C to -15 C to kill an adult tick,” she said.

“And it was certainly colder than that, but it was colder above the ground and in the air. So where the ticks are, in the leaf litter, it [did] not get much below -5 C to -10 C, depending how deep they go.”

The researcher and director of the Lloyd Tick Lab at Mount Allison University in New Brunswick pointed out that if there’s a snow cover on top of that, then the ticks are even more insulated, and harder to kill.

“The moment they’re out, they’ll find blood to feed on, usually in the form of mice or other small animals, but the cold didn’t slow the mice down much, they just burrowed in the ground too,” Lloyd added.

Tick seasons are spring and fall, although she said, they are now starting to blend together through the winter. And a damp summer can blend into one year-long tick season.

A tick is pictured in an undated photo. (Courtesy: Vett Lloyd/Mout Allison University)

The peak periods in the Maritimes though are typically during cooler, damper times such as spring and autumn.

“Lyme disease is getting more and more prevalent in wild animals which means it’s more likely too that a tick will transmit the disease to humans,” she said.

“People will see more, are more likely to encounter a tick on themselves, their child, their pet. And there’s an increasing chance that that tick will be infected.”

A tick is pictured on the tip of a person's finger in an undated photo. (Courtesy: Vett Lloyd / Mt. Allison University)

In dealing with deer ticks, or technically black-legged ticks, Lloyd’s best advice is to check yourself and your pets when you come in from outside. Put your pet on anti-tick medication year-round if you can, and wear insect repellant when you need it.

The most common sign of Lyme disease is an expanding skin rash that typically begins at the site of the tick bite. Other early symptoms include fever, chills, fatigue and headache. If left untreated, the infection can spread to the joints, heart and nervous system.