As the summer approaches and temperatures climb more and more bugs become prevalent. One of those bugs is ticks, which are spreading and now pose risks to six provinces, say some experts.
Ticks used to be a small problem in our country due to our cold climate, but as Canada gets warmer, the tick problem grows. Ticks survive for longer and spread farther than they used to. Six provinces now have tick problems, including Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and BC.
Southern Canada has warmed in recent decades, making it a suitable place for ticks to set up shop. That’s why the southern areas of those six provinces will see more and more ticks. Cities like Winnipeg, Brandon, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, and Toronto, among others are at risk. The ticks that are in BC are of a different species but are still concerning.
Lyme disease poses the biggest risk when it comes to ticks. In the past decade, Lyme disease cases have grown substantially. In 2009, there were 144 reported cases of Lyme disease as opposed to the 2025 cases in 2017.
Lyme is a disease that is spread once ticks attach themselves to the body. Ticks ideally want to latch on for 72 hours before falling off.
Symptoms of Lyme disease include a bullseye-shaped rash, fever, chills, headache, muscle and joint pain, as well as swollen lymph nodes. If left untreated, it can cause more severe problems like heart problems, facial paralysis, and arthritis.
The most effective way of preventing Lyme disease is to avoid being bitten. Wearing long sleeves and pants and using bug sprays with DEET are helpful methods to prevent tick bites.
