Big Tick Energy: Help Prevent Lyme Disease!

As we enjoy the warmer weather and explore the outdoors, remember to keep yourself and your pets safe from tick bites. Ticks are tiny but can transmit disease such as Lyme, Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis and Powassan virus. Toronto is considered an established risk area for blacklegged ticks with 53 per cent of ticks testing positive for at least one reportable tickborne disease. The good news is that you can prevent ticks from getting attached to you or your dog at home or in the wild.

When you are outside, avoid brushy and leaf littered areas and ensure you are wearing proper clothing such as closed toe shoes, light-coloured pants and long sleeves to easily spot ticks.

If you have spent time outdoors in wooded, brushy or grassy areas, shower to find attached ticks and potentially remove unattached ticks. If you find a tick on your body, remove it as soon as possible with tweezers or a tick key. Check your children and pets for ticks. You can find more information on keeping your pets safe on the Toronto Humane Society website.

Tick prevention starts at home with simple steps such as mowing the lawn regularly, trimming tree branches and shrubs, discouraging rodents from coming onto your property, keeping bird feeders away from your house and moving any children’s swing sets and sandboxes away from the woodland's edge. Find more tips and information at toronto.ca/Lyme.

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