Yes, ticks could be lurking in Waterloo region — even in November
They can be active anytime that the temperatures are above freezing, says public health
Ticks and Lyme disease might seem synonymous with warmer days, but the Region of Waterloo public health's acting manager of the vector borne diseases program, Rebecca Piovesan, warns that it's possible to encounter them in the cooler months too.
"They can be active anytime that the temperatures are above freezing," Piovesan said. "So definitely as we're seeing warmer temperatures later into the fall, it's definitely … prolonging when ticks are active."
In 2022, there were 22 new cases of Lyme disease in Waterloo region, however, Piovesan said that at the worst of times ticks aren't as prevalent in the region.
"Region of Waterloo isn't currently considered a hotspot for ticks, mostly due to the large amounts of farmland in our region."
That said, the risk is still there, Piovesan explained. It's something that people need to be cautious about regardless, especially when enjoying deciduous forests where "leaf litter" can be found — it's where they thrive.
"And ticks can possibly be encountered in these types of areas if birds or animals have brought them in," she said.
When going into these environments, she suggests such precautions as wearing lighter coloured clothes to spot the ticks, wearing pants and long-sleeved shirts, and doing a thorough inspection of the body afterwards. She said that things like wearing deet and showering could help too.
The ticks of concern are the black-legged ones since they carry Lyme disease. Piovesan advises that if anybody is bitten by one, even if they removed it, to seek medical attention. Piovesan points to the website, eTick.ca, as a way to identify these types of ticks.