Expect a bump in tick numbers in Alberta this summer: experts
The mostly warm winter and thin snow may have helped one of Alberta's least lovable creatures: ticks.
"I wouldn't be surprised to find it's a bad year for the moose tick," says Janet Sperling, an entomologist and president of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation.
She says past research has shown a bump in tick numbers following strong El Niño years.
Karen Marsh and Carl Johns discovered a gruesome patch on their driveway in Bragg Creek last week after returning from vacation.
It appears to be a deer or a moose bed, but it's flecked with blood spots. Closer inspection showed it was also littered with engorged ticks.
"About the size of coffee beans and there’s 20 or 30 of these but there was blood all around," says Johns.
In extreme cases, infested deer and moose can die after picking up too many ticks.
"There's these strings of like hundreds and even thousands of ticks that are coming up, walking up to the back of the moose and then settling in for the winter," Sperling says.
"Sometimes they're just pulling so much blood out that the moose just can't handle it."
Alberta is home to several varieties of tick, and while the moose tick is less likely to attach itself to humans, the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick can carry serious infections, including tick paralysis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
The tick responsible for Lyme disease has also been found in Alberta and is generally believed to be expanding its range.
"So now when I go walking in the mountains, I'm going to say I'm going to be very careful to wear clothing that is basically covering my skin. And if it's light-coloured, it's even better," says Sperling.
Mosquito repellent is also effective. But no matter what precautions people take in nature, there's no substitute for a thorough personal inspection in the shower at home.
Alberta Environment and Parks issued its annual warning heading into last weekend, reminding people ticks are active once the snow goes away and temperatures rise above 4 C. They are active right through until the end of fall.
If you are bitten by a tick, be sure to remove it as close to the skin as possible. Take a picture or save the tick for testing.
You can also report and identify ticks through the website eTick.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.