Ottawa's Tick Season Is Getting Longer — Here's What You Need to Know
Ottawa nature lovers and outdoor enthusiasts have one more thing to watch out for this summer: ticks are on the move, and climate change is making things significantly worse across southern Canada, including the Ottawa region.
According to new reporting from CBC, warming temperatures are pushing ticks into habitats they've never occupied before. What used to be a fringe concern for hikers in heavily wooded rural areas is increasingly becoming an urban and suburban issue — and experts say a majority of Canadians could soon find themselves dealing with these parasites on a regular basis.
Why Ticks Are Spreading
The science is straightforward: ticks thrive in warm, humid conditions. As Canadian winters become milder and summers stretch longer, tick populations are surviving in places they couldn't before. The blacklegged tick — also known as the deer tick — is the primary carrier of Lyme disease and has been steadily expanding its range northward.
For Ottawa specifically, this matters. The city sits at the edge of several tick-heavy corridors, and popular green spaces like Gatineau Park, the Greenbelt, and the trails along the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers are exactly the kinds of mixed forest and shrubby edge habitats where ticks thrive.
What Ottawans Should Watch For
Public health experts recommend a few key habits for anyone spending time outdoors:
- Wear light-coloured clothing so ticks are easier to spot
- Use insect repellent containing DEET or Icaridin on exposed skin and clothing
- Stick to the centre of trails and avoid brushing against long grass or low shrubs
- Do a full-body tick check after every outdoor outing, paying close attention to the scalp, armpits, groin, and behind the knees
- Check your pets too — dogs and cats can carry ticks indoors
If you find a tick attached to your skin, remove it promptly with fine-tipped tweezers, pulling straight upward without twisting. Don't crush it with your fingers. Save the tick in a sealed bag and consider submitting it to Ottawa Public Health for identification — the city has run tick surveillance programs in recent years to track species and Lyme disease risk.
Lyme Disease Risk in the Region
Lyme disease, transmitted through the bite of an infected blacklegged tick, causes symptoms that can include fever, fatigue, headache, and a characteristic bull's-eye rash. Caught early, it's treatable with antibiotics. Left undiagnosed, it can cause serious long-term complications.
Ontario has seen a steady increase in reported Lyme disease cases over the past decade, and the Ottawa area has been identified as an established risk zone. Ottawa Public Health updates its tick activity maps seasonally — worth bookmarking before your next hike.
Adapting Is the New Normal
The bottom line, according to experts, is that Canadians can't simply wait for tick season to end anymore. With warming trends continuing, the season is effectively expanding — starting earlier in spring and running later into fall.
For Ottawa, a city that prides itself on outdoor culture and year-round recreation, building tick awareness into everyday habits isn't optional anymore. It's just part of life in an era of climate change.
Check Ottawa Public Health's website for the latest tick risk maps and Lyme disease reporting information.
Source: CBC News
