Fight the bite!

York Region provides tips to protect you from ticks

With the arrival of warm weather, more people are enjoying the great outdoors. It’s also a season to take precautions against blacklegged ticks and Lyme disease. 

Blacklegged ticks are small bugs that feed off the blood of animals and humans. Adult ticks are the size of a sesame seed and nymphs (adolescent ticks) are no bigger than a poppy seed. Ticks attach themselves to people or animals who brush past them. Most tick bites are painless and they can feed for up to five days. 

Ticks can be found in tall grasses and bushes in wooded areas almost anywhere in Ontario, including Vaughan.

Lyme disease is spread through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick. Not all ticks are infected with the bacteria. If you find a tick on yourself or a family member, it is important to remove it quickly. To do this, grasp the tick with tweezers as close as possible to your skin and pull it straight out. Do not put anything on the tick or try to burn it off. Then, disinfect the area with rubbing alcohol. You can visit etick.ca to identify what kind it is. 

To help keep you and your family safe this summer, York Region is sharing tips and information to keep in mind when outside: 

• Wear light-coloured, long pants, long-sleeved tops and closed footwear.
• Use an insect repellent containing DEET or icaridin.
• Walk in the middle of the trail.
• Shower when you get home to remove unattached ticks.
• Check yourself, your family and your pets for ticks.
• Remove attached ticks as quickly as possible.

Visit york.ca/LymeDisease for more information.

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