www.cgcc.ca

I see a lot of you enjoy the outdoors, go camping, just get outside. How concerned are you about ticks?

When I was young we went and played wherever we wanted and I had never even heard of a tick let alone lyme disease. Now it's all over the news and frankly it has me freaked out a bit. I found one on my 3 year old's back earlier this year and I almost had a heart attack!

Since we have a lot of people at work who are outside a lot they really stress the issue there, which doesn't help to calm my nerves.

What are others' thoughts?

Let me guess.....your first kid? That's why you're freaked out.
Have a few more and you won't care if they're handling waste from Chernobyl.

You need to order permethrin from the states. Can't get it in Canada (only farm grade mixed with other chemicals). I'm outdoor all summer in woods near my house. Have had easily 10- 20 ticks on me each year for the last 3 years and never a problem. Be sure to research each kind of tick and check each one you find. I've never had anything but dog ticks on me (no Lyme... But always potential for other thing). They can easily be on you for 24 hours without ever biting or burrowing. Even a tick bite will need to actually have "meal" before exchange of blood and danger of contact disease. Ticks aren't fast like a mosquito so don't panic and swat when you see one.

This is that you want

Edit: also be sure to research permethrin. Essentially fine for dogs, humans we can break it down. Not fine when wet to be around cats as pretty serious neurotoxin.

Same here. Never seen one before, frequented fields and areas in a local creek/ravine I used to live near in Oakville. Recently took my son out for a hike in same area, got in the car and started driving home. Looked down on my leg and saw a tick. Immediately pulled over, we both got out and found 8 ticks between the two of us.

Never, ever had encountered them before.

Tim