Ticks are laying eggs in spring, do this to keep them away
The arrival of spring marks the resurgence of ticks. Take the proper measures to protect yourself from harmful bites.
Spring is here, and many Canadians are happy to welcome the onset of milder temperatures. However, with warm weather also comes the arrival of some pesky little friends—ticks.
During this time of the year, it is important to take measures to prevent ticks from spreading. Ticks can lurk in your backyard, parks, and forests. Common tick species hide in vegetation, wait for a host to pass by, and then latch onto their target.
Ticks feed by cutting through skin and feeding on their host's blood. They can be quite dangerous due to the threat of passing various diseases from a single bite.
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Female ticks lay their eggs in the spring and summer months. These eggs are incredibly small and hard to identify. Most infections are acquired during the spring due to ticks in the nymph stage being being harder to detect than adult ticks.
How to protect yourself from ticks
One of the best measures to stay safe is to prevent female ticks from entering your property. This starts with modifying your home by creating a barrier between thick vegetation areas and your backyard.
Another method is regularly checking your pet's coat for ticks, especially after walking in parks.
If you are going to enter forested areas, protect yourself and dress appropriately, using long-sleeved shirts and long pants. Be sure to remove any ticks as soon as they are detected by using tweezers to squeeze the tick head and pulling up.
Watch the video that leads this article to learn more.
WATCH: Spring's here, watch out for these three insects
With files from Tristan Simpson
