Ticks 101
At any geocacher gathering, ticks are the stuff of legends. The feisty creatures were even immortalized in song by singer Brad Paisley who romantically crooned, “I’d like to check you for ticks.”
Gold Country Ticks
With over 40 kinds of ticks in Canada, in Gold Country we worry most about two:
1. Rocky Mountain Wood Tick
Most prolific in the Southern Interior between March and June, this tick lives in the dry, interior area reaching from the U.S. border to Williams Lake. They can be found as far east as Alberta but not west of the Coastal mountains.
The females are a reddish-brown colour with a white shield shape near their head. The males are a mottled-grey and both are approximately 5 mm in body length. They wait for their hosts near the tops of grasses and low shrubs, attaching to people or animals that pass by. Once attached they make a mad dash, climbing up toward the head.
While they are not known carriers of Lyme Disease, they do carry and transmit Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Tularemia, Colorado Tick Fever, and are the major cause of tick paralysis.
2. Deer Tick
More common on Vancouver Island or the lower mainland, Deer Ticks have been linked to Lyme Disease cases in the Southern Interior. Approximately 2.5 mm in diameter, the deer tick has an oval shape and a flattened body before it eats. Engorged with blood, it becomes the size of a small pea and blue-black in color.
Tick Trivia
• Like their spider cousins, adult ticks have eight legs
• Ticks cannot jump, fly, or drop from above – they climb.
• Ticks need blood protein for developing eggs.
• Ticks have few predators – some birds, chickens, spiders, and even fire ants.
• Ticks attach by secreting a sort of quick drying cement.
• A Deer Tick can survive, and even bite, in harsh winter conditions.
Tick-borne Dangers
Because most ticks aren’t infected with disease-causing germs, most bites aren’t dangerous. However, tick bites need to be taken seriously and measures should be taken to prevent infection.
Tick Paralysis
A gradual paralysis that can be treated when the tick is removed as long as the paralysis has not progressed too far. It can be deadly if overlooked. There is no known antidote.
Symptoms:
o numbness in the feet and legs, difficulty in walking and standing
o hands and arms are affected
o difficulty swallowing and speaking
Lyme Disease
Named after Lyme, Connecticut, where it was first identified, Lyme Disease is the most common tick-borne disease in North America. Left untreated it can cause devastating long-term disability. Early diagnosis and treatment is essential.
Symptoms:
Consult your doctor if you have symptoms within 3-30 days after being bitten by a tick or after having been in grassy or wooded areas known to have Lyme disease.
o occasionally a “bull’s-eye” rash at the site of the bite. Not itchy or painful, the rash can feel warm. It expands over days and can reach up to 30 cm across.
o fever
o headache
o muscle and joint pains
o fatigue
o weakness or paralysis of the facial muscles
Prevention
1. Walk on cleared trails.
2. Wear light colored clothing, tuck your shirt into your pants and pants into socks.
3. Use insect repellent containing DEET.
4. Check clothing and scalp (covered or not) after walking in grassy areas.
5. Check household pets.
Tick Removal
Avoid stressing or crushing the tick’s body. It may inject its stomach contents into your blood.
According to the Centre for Disease Control:
1. Using needle nose tweezers, gently grasp the tick close to the skin. If you find it difficult to remove the tick do not use grease, alcohol or heat to remove the tick. Visit your doctor.
2. Without squeezing, pull the tick straight out.
3. Clean the area with soap and water and apply an antiseptic.
4. Check carefully for other ticks.
5. Notify your doctor if you notice any rash or unusual health problems.
Bibliography and Sources:
“Ticks in British Columbia” (July 2014), In Province of British Columbia, Retrieved May 21, 2017 from http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/industry/agriculture-seafood/animals-and-crops/plant-health/insects-and-plant-diseases/home-garden/ticks
“Tick ID” (no date), In Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation, Retrieved May 21, 2017, from https://canlyme.com/lyme-basics/tick-id/
“Lyme Disease (Borrelia burgdorferi infection)” (2017), In Provincial Health Services Authority - BC Centre for Disease Control. Retrieved May 21, 2017, from http://www.bccdc.ca/health-info/diseases-conditions/lyme-disease-borrelia-burgdorferi-infection
Detailed access information:
Turn off the Trans Canada(Hwy 1) onto Greenstone Road, When you reach a fork, follow it left up Greenstone Mountain Road. From the roadside pull-out you start your hike up the small hill, with a good view of the valley. Watch for ticks!