Ticks on the move in Manitoba as weather warms up

As the weather heats up in Manitoba, ticks are on the move.

It's been about 30 years since the first black-legged tick was discovered in the province. In that time, the parasites, who can move an estimated 42 kilometres a year, have greatly expanded their territory across southern Manitoba,

Now there are now more of them than ever before.

"They're actually present snowmelt to snowfall,” said entomologist Taz Stewart of Taz Pest Control.

Stewart said black-legged ticks, which can transmit Lyme disease, aren't just on long grass -- they can be in parks, backyards and near trees.

"Those ticks can be sitting on those edges, tree lines, grass lines, looking for you,” he said.

Kateryn Rochon, a professor of veterinary entomology at the University of Manitoba, said the first black-legged tick was spotted in eastern Manitoba back in 1989. Since then, they've expanded their territory.

"Now they're stretching into the western part to the Saskatchewan border,” she said.

“So, if you ask me where black-legged ticks are, they're likely anywhere in southern, perhaps central Manitoba."

Ticks can go after deer, birds and people, but that's not all, as dogs and cats are also vulnerable.

For cats and dogs, there's preventative medication available, but it’s also important to check their fur for ticks.

"[It’s] good to do a check when they come in. Whether you have a comb, you’re giving them a nice experience brushing them out, or you're just sort of trying to needle through the fur,” said Tara Serrette with the Centennial Animal Hospital.

Stewart suggested doing a similar check for yourself and for your kids when you come back in the house.

If you should find a tick -- experts say you should remove it as quickly as possible.

"If you have forceps that's great, but you can use your fingers. You want to go as close to the skin as possible, and you want to pull, just straight out,” Rochon said.

After you remove that tick, you can take a couple of pictures of it -- from the front and the back -- and then send it in to the website eTick, which is a platform for image-based identification of ticks.

The service will then inform you what kind of tick it is and potentially some information on what symptoms to look out for.