Ticks wake up in record time

An unusually mild winter has made ticks already active in January – much earlier than normal. When the snow fails and the temperature rises above five degrees, the small insects start to seek host animals, often pets that are out and about.
– People find ticks on their dogs and cats, says entomologist Anders Lindström in after five.

The State Veterinary Institute has received unusually many reports of ticks during the first weeks of the year. Ticks usually lie dormant during the winter, protected by snow and cold. But without snow cover and with temperatures above five degrees, they can instead wake up, become active and look for food. Pets are particularly vulnerable and can also bring ticks indoors.

– If you have pets sleeping in bed you can get tick bite, points out Anders Lindström.

Even people need to be vigilant, as ticks can carry diseases such as Borrelia and TBE.

Spreading further north

Climate change not only makes the ticks active in the past, they also make the species spreading towards new areas. According to Lindström, more and more ticks are visible in northern Sweden, and with higher temperatures there is a risk that new species and new diseases will appear from southern latitudes.

– In sunny southern lights you can meet them if you are unlucky, says Lindström, emphasizing that ticks can also be active during other mild periods of the year.

So you protect you

For those who often stay in tick -rich areas, the same protection is recommended as during the summer: covering clothes, rubber boots and light garments so that ticks are visible more clearly.

– In the winter it is not as careful to do tick in the evenings as in the summer. But if you live in an area where there is a lot of TBE you have to vaccinate against it, Lindström emphasizes.

Pets that suffer repeatedly may need ticks to reduce the risk of both animals and owners.