Tick season springs up early due to mild winter weather

Ottawa's tick population may get a head start this spring due to an unseasonably warm winter, researchers say. 

Manisha Kulkarni, an associate professor in the school of epidemiology and public health at the University of Ottawa, said warmer weather could be the cause of a denser tick population in the region this year.

"Many more ticks were able to find a host and there may be many more reproducing into the next stage," Kulkarni said. 

That means the risk of encountering the arachnids is higher.

Where to find ticks

Deer ticks, otherwise known as blacklegged ticks, are present in the Ottawa area and across eastern Ontario, according to Ottawa Public Health (OPH).

Some deer ticks carry the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease, and OPH has found an increase in the number of cases of Lyme disease reported in the Ottawa area over time.

In sampling roughly 30 different sites over the past few years, Kulkarni said the most established tick populations are in western areas of the city, such as the Greenbelt, and some areas around the Ottawa River.

"We also do see tick populations and other kinds of suburban and rural areas of the city, including in the south and the east," Kulkarni said.

Ticks hide out in tall grass and other vegetation, and Kulkarni suggested staying on trails while hiking — the wider the better — to avoid brushing up with the arachnids.

What is 'tick dragging'?

One way of monitoring the region's tick population and the potential diseases they may carry is called "tick dragging," said Dr. Linna Li, CEO and medical officer of health for Leeds, Greenville and Lanark District Health Unit.

Li said her team does tick dragging regularly by collecting samples in high risk areas.

"We go out in suits that protect us and then we take a sheet of fabric behind us and then try to capture as many ticks as we can on that sheet of fabric," Li said.

The ticks are then submitted for testing to see what type they are and if they carry the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease.

Not all tick bites cause health risks

"One of the things we always tell people is, look at whether the tick is flat or fat," Li said.

If the tick doesn't look like it's engorged, then it's less likely to have been attached to the skin for 24 hours, she said. The risk of getting Lyme disease increases with the length of time the tick is attached, according to OPH.

Li said it's important to remove any ticks as soon as possible by using tweezers or pliers.

Symptoms may include fever, fatigue, and body aches. Another typical sign is a rash that looks like a bullseye and appears at the site of the tick bite.

For prevention, Li suggested wearing long pants, long sleeves and high socks if walking in tall grass, doing yard work, hiking or hunting.