Unusually many ticks after winter

The mild winter has led to a record number of ticks. The blood -sucking insects have been reported in several parts of the country as early as January and February, and the researchers warn of tick bites, writes Aftonbladet.

Ticks normally go in hibernation during the cold months, but if winter is mild and snowy, the ticks keep up all year and in January five times as many ticks from southern Sweden were reported to Uppsala County as during the same time last year, according to a survey from the state veterinarian medical institution, SVA.

– There are remarkable many who have reported ticks this year, says Anna Omazic, a researcher at SVA, to Aftonbladet.

In addition to the mild weather, the sudden increase in ticks may also be due to the fact that the animals also begin to adapt to colder weather. SVA recommends that the person who gets bitten writes where and when they were bitten by a tick in order to be able to give care relevant information in the event of any symptoms.