Tick population booming in N.B. after successive mild winters, expert says

With the prospect of a warm summer ahead, Mount Allison University biologist Vett Lloyd warns New Brunswickers to protect themselves from ticks, who have been on the rise over the past couple of years. 

Lloyd has been studying ticks for more than 10 years and said the tick population has become unprecedentedly high this season. 

"We had two mild winters in a row and that means that instead of dying off during the winter, the ticks were able to sleep it out under the snow and under the soil," said Lloyd. "Anytime an adult female gets a good blood meal, she can produce 2,000 to 3,000 little baby ticks, so there are a lot of ticks now."

Ticks are parasites that suck blood to create more ticks. They often feed on the blood of wild animals that carry diseases, such as Lyme disease, and bacteria that can be transmitted to humans and pets if they get bit. 

These diseases are called zoonotic illnesses, some of which can be fatal if left untreated. 

Lloyd said researchers have seen an increase in the number of ticks in the southern half of the province, along the coast. They're even starting to appear increasingly far north, carried by migratory birds and wild animals like coyotes, foxes and deer.

These ticks are also carrying new diseases, such as anaplasmosis and babesiosis, which can be fatal to humans more rapidly than Lyme disease, Lloyd said.

She said government doesn't currently keep track of the tick population, so researchers use community reports and targeted tick sweeps to determine how the parasite is spreading. 

To contribute to community reports, individuals can slowly drag a fleece blanket or an old towel over vegetation and grass in their backyard or a local park for a few minutes. If a small, black, multi-legged speck is observed, it's probably a tick.

These reports can be submitted to etick.ca, a website created by researchers at Bishop's University and funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada. 

The site also includes other resources, including a map of the country that indicates high-incidence tick areas in red.

Besides using etick, Lloyd recommends using bug spray — preferably ones that say they also work on ticks. 

Lloyd said these sprays have probably been tested on ticks, making them more efficient to repel them than regular bug spray. 

She also recommends people cover their legs with long pants when outdoors. However, if this is not feasible due to summer heat, she stressed the importance of frequent tick checks during walks and after coming back from being outside.