By Nigel Maxwell
paNOW staff
Without warning, they may jump on you at any moment and sink in their tiny pinchers.
The Ministry of Health said they have been seeing a lot more ticks in the Prince Albert and Melfort areas.
“The two most common ticks, the American dog tick and the Rocky Mountain wood tick have been moving farther north. We're starting to see them in areas of the parkland, where 20 or 30 years ago we would not have seen them,” said entomologist Phil Curry.
Curry said there could be any number of reasons for the migration, such as climate, habitat or transportation through birds.
The good news is that these are not the types of ticks that carry Lyme disease and there are ways to protect yourself against the bug.
“Wear repellents containing deet. Wear long pants and long sleeve shirts. Tuck your pant legs into your socks. The most important thing is to do a tick check of you and your animals after you have been out hiking,” said Curry.
Local veterinarians are no strangers to ticks.
“We saw a few at the end of April and they usually start around this time. So it is a little bit earlier, but I haven't seen as many as I would've expected,” said Dr. Feng Lett, at the South Hill Animal Clinic.
Lett said ticks can be easily treated with medication or you can pick them off at home.
“What you do is grab it with some needle nose pliers or tweezers and just pull gently and they will detach themselves. It fatigues their pinchers,” she said.
Lett said it is important to do a thorough check of your pet after going outside. Ears and paws are common tick hiding places.
nmaxwell@panow.com
