|Wanderung| Newsletter --- Tick season Z

lulululu

There's one four-letter word (which ends in "ck") that will catch every hiker's
attention: tick. And unfortunately those unpleasant little parasites are
becoming more and more common in the Lower Mainland.

Laura K. posted in the Facebook group saying that she'd encountered ticks on the
Deeks Bluff trail. The Fraser Canyon and Okanagan are known tick areas, as are
the Southern Gulf Islands. In this part of Canada, the most common tick is the
blacklegged or deer tick - so wherever there are deer, you'll find these ticks.

Tick season is usually April/May to mid-July, but we've had a warm and sunny
spring and there were reports of tick activity way back in early March.

Precautions for hiking in tick country include wearing long pants (tucked into
socks, or covered with gaiters), long-sleeved shirts, and pale colours to make
them easier to spot. Deet provides some protection against them. Always check
yourself (and your gear!) immediately after a hike and before you get into the
car. Check again when you get home. A shower is a good way to dislodge any ticks
that have yet to bite. Stick to cleared trails and avoid bushwhacking.

The advice for removing a tick has remained the same over the years: the only
safe way to do it is to use tweezers or a dedicated tool to grip as close to the
mouthparts as possible and lever it out of the skin. Never squeeze the body is
this may cause the tick to inject bacteria into your bloodstream. If in doubt,
seek medical advice. You really don't want Lyme disease as it can have
life-changing effects.

I try not to let ticks dictate where I hike at this time of year, but it's not
always easy...!

Links to info on Lyme disease:

http://www.healthycanadians.gc.c ... /lyme/index-eng.php

http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/phn-asp/2015/lyme-eng.php

Ticks and disease:

http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthfiles/hfile01.stm

Avoiding and removing ticks:

http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healt ... sp?hwid=tp23585spec

Tick bite symptoms:

http://www.healthlinkbc.ca/healthtopics/content.asp?hwid=tckbt