opinion: dispatches from the war on ticks

many of us are cottagers at heart. as summer hits its stride, our thoughts turn to carefree days of picnics and paddle boarding. unfortunately, there's a war on ticks, and our daydreams are constantly interrupted by missives from the front.like most nature-based horrors, the arrival of ticks across our southern border is annoyingly self-inflicted, due largely to warming temperatures and habitat loss. like pesky chiggers and spotted lantern flies, the tiny arachnids had been content to plague americans before attaining colonial ambitions. the first act of war was committed when blacklegged ticks (also called deer ticks) brought lyme disease to canada in 1989.tick armies have been advancing north at a pace of 35 to 55 kilometres a year, cbc reports. with their arrival, human cases of lyme disease have risen almost exponentially, from about 150 reported in 2009 to more than 7,000 last year.the same ticks that carry lyme disease also can transmit anaplasmosis, a bacterial infection with flu-like symptoms. its incidence is rising rapidly, the canadian medical association journal warns, and potentially can damage vital organs. deer ticks also may carry powassan virus, which can cause encephalitis. another rising threat is babesiosis, often dubbed "american malaria," an infection that destroys red blood cells.notwithstanding this menu of horrors (which are treatable), deer ticks are not the scariest invaders in this war. health canada now identifies more than 40 varieties on our soil. the enemy dwells in long grass, leaf litter and damp, wooded areas. perhaps the most formidable is the lone star tick, distinguished by a white dot on its back. its bite can cause a sudden and potentially fatal allergy to red meat, which sounds less like an immune response than the plot of an m. night shyamalan movie. even creepier, lone star ticks don't just attach to whatever host brushes past; they actively stalk their prey. the species is not established in canada, defined as living and breeding here; rather, they are adventitious, hitching a ride on migrating prey. still, their incursions are significant, reaching the southern regions of quebec, ontario, nova scotia, manitoba, alberta and saskatchewan.we know how to defend ourselves against these tiny foes — dress for battle and avoid engagement — though the advice is hard to follow in 30 c heat. wear long pants. tuck them into your socks. wrap tape around your ankles with the sticky side out, to catch any climbers and solidify your resolve to remain indoors for the rest of the summer.some people purchase outerwear treated with permethrin. there are also kid-friendly patches infused with essential oils that claim to repel ticks and mosquitoes. health canada recommends deet.full-body inspections are advised after returning from the battlefield. clothes can be baked in the dryer for 10 minutes before washing, which my grandmother would tell you is an excellent way to set a stain. a scalding shower will wash away loose ticks, but it won't save you from any already attached.embeds should be removed immediately with tweezers or a tick remover; avoid squeezing the body, which can force infected saliva back into the bloodstream.health canada recommends isolating prisoners of war in a ziploc bag. most health units no longer routinely test ticks for lyme disease, but you can upload photos to the etick app, a public platform for identifying and monitoring tick populations. in my experience, ticks can live a startlingly long time in captivity, slowly deflating like the outer casing of a corn kernel. to be safe, freeze it for several days before disposing of the dead.robin baranyai is a postmedia news columnist.write.robin@baranyai.ca