About Ticks
Ticks are bloodsucking parasites that may be found all throughout Canada. Ticks, like spiders and mites, are parasitic insects. The majority are external parasites on mammals, birds, and reptiles, as well as recognised disease vectors for both humans and domestic and wild animals. Ticks are divided into two groups: hard ticks and soft ticks. They range in hue from brown to black to grey. They range in length from 3 to 5mm. Ticks have mouth that protrudes from their heads. Ticks’ head is connected to the thorax, unlike insects, which have separate heads that may move.
Habits
Ticks rely exclusively on the blood of a range of species, ranging from warm-blooded mammals and birds to cold-blooded organisms like reptiles. Ticks prefer thickly forested regions, woodlands, and grasslands to reside in, however the Rocky Mountain tick prefers brushier environments at higher elevations. Ticks either grab onto random animals as they travel through their environment or wait for possible hosts to brush up against them to attach themselves to them.
Habitat
Ticks can deposit their eggs indoors or outdoors, as long as the environment is warm, comfortable, and soft to them. Ticks are attracted to heavy, dense leaf litter, thick ground cover around the home’s perimeter, and protective spots like fallen logs, fuel stacks, and rock piles. Tick bites usually result in blisters or rashes on the victim’s skin.
Threats
Ticks are significant disease vectors, carrying germs and viruses that may cause serious sickness in people and animals alike. Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, and babesiosis are only a handful of the diseases spread by ticks.
Prevention
Proper landscaping measures to exclude and establish an unfavourable habitat for tick survival are the easiest approach to manage tick infestations across vast regions. Tick contact may be reduced by keeping grass mowed, removing all leaf and weed litter, cutting tree branches, and limiting pet activity.
