After months indoors we're all itching to get outdoors but that can put us in contact with tiny little pests like ticks.

They hide in the shade, in wooded areas and in long grasses, and can be carried from place to place by migratory birds. Ticks can travel unaided about 20 to 40 kilometres per year.

Carys Richards with The Nature Conservancy of Canada said the best thing to do after coming back inside, is to check for ticks.

"One of the first symptoms is going to be a rash that looks like a bullseye, if you can see the tick on your skin, you can try and remove it using tweezers," she explained. "Gently grasp it by the head close to the skin and try to pull it straight off."

Richards said once you've pulled them off put them in a pill bottle or plastic bag and send them to a veterinarian or the province to be checked for diseases like Lyme disease. Infected people may also develop flu-like symptoms.

She said ticks don't just go after humans.

"If you're out hiking with your canine companion, you should also be checking them for ticks as well, and not even hiking in the backcountry, ticks can be a problem in inner-city parks or potentially your own lawns or gardens," she said.

"So, it should just be kind of a habit that whenever people get in from spending time outside they check themselves and if they have their pets with them they should also check their pets because the same kind of diseases that ticks might give to people they can also give to our pets."

Richards suggests wearing bug repellant containing DEET, long sleeves, light-coloured clothing, and she says while it may look a bit funny it may be a good idea to tuck your pants into your socks.

 

Questions, comments or story ideas? e-mail news@discoverairdrie.ca