An adult female lone star tick crawling on a blade of grass.Lauren Bishop/The Canadian Press
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Canada is in the middle of one of its worst seasons for ticks, prompting Canadians across the country to preform tick checks on themselves and pets.
More than 40 different types of ticks, a bloodsucking arachnid responsible for growing rates of Lyme disease, inhabit Canada, several of which can carry disease. These small creatures – which can be as small as a poppy seed – thrive in wooded areas, forests, tall grasses and leaf litter.
Last year, more than 7,100 Canadians were infected with Lyme disease, and a new case report published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal warned of increasing cases of tick-borne Anaplasmosis.
Dr. Vett Lloyd and health science reporter Jennifer Yang answered reader questions on this year’s tick season, how you can stay safe and take the right precautions if you spot a bug.
Dr. Lloyd is a professor of Biology at Mount Allison University working on ticks and the pathogens they transmit, and is the co-founder of the Canadian Lyme Science Alliance.
Read their responses in the comment section below.