By Lesley MacKay, StittsvilleCentral, July 24, 2019
Black legged ticks (also known as deer ticks) have increased in numbers in our part of the country this year. There have been several reported cases in Stittsville. With so many cases reported in the Ottawa area this year, Ottawa Public Health have taken a breather from doing any further collection and testing of ticks as the city has surpassed the 20% threshold.
But don’t let this information keep you or your pets housebound. You can take many precautions to avoid tick bites when enjoying nature. If you are in a forested or grassy area —
- stay on the path
- wear light coloured clothing that includes a long-sleeved shirt and long pants
- wear socks on your walks and tuck your pants into the socks
- use bug spray with picaridin or DEET
- roll a sticky lint roller over your clothes (and pet as well) before entering the house
- especially important is to do a tick check of your entire body, including in your armpits, groin area, behind your ears and along hairlines where they like to hide
- check out your pet’s neckline, legs, tail, stomach and chest area