With the warmer weather comes and increase in ticks. The City is now reminding residents to be on the lookout for the insects.
“We encourage residents and visitors to enjoy our parks and green spaces, while remaining vigilant for ticks, particularly when traveling through tall grass, brush and wooded areas,” says Alan Cayford, the Director of Operations.
The city reminds residents that most ticks don’t pose a significant health risk but it is important to remove a tick right away to minimize risk of infection or diseases. Approximately 94 per cent of ticks found in Saskatchewan are the American dog tick, which are not capable of transmitting Lyme disease to people.
Some precautionary measures listed by the city are:
- Wear pants, long-sleeved shirts and shoes that protect your feet and pull socks over your pant legs
- Wear light-coloured clothes so ticks can be seen easily
- Use insect repellents that contain DEET or Icaridin and apply it to clothes and skin
- Shower within two hours of being outside to wash off loose ticks
- Do full-body tick checks on yourself, children and pets
If you find a tick, you can submit it to the Alberta Submit a Tick Program or the Saskatchewan Submit a Tick Program.