10/13/2026
🕷️ Ticks Are Active When Temperatures Rise Above Freezing
Fall and spring are the seasons when we typically see the most tick activity. As long as temperatures remain above 0°C, ticks can stay active. In fact, we now see fleas and ticks year-round in our area, and any day above freezing can put your pet at risk.
Snow cover can actually improve tick survival. When warmer temperatures cause the snow to melt, ticks can become active again.
Ticks can be found in many environments, but they especially like wooded areas, tall grasses, and leaf litter. They can also be found in urban areas, including our own backyards, city parks, and green spaces.
🦠 Ticks Can Carry Serious Diseases
Ticks can transmit diseases such as Lyme disease, which is spread by blacklegged ticks and can affect both people and pets.
In many areas, approximately 1 in 5 blacklegged ticks may carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease, and the rate can be even higher in some regions.
Over the past year at Aldergrove Animal Clinic, we have seen 17 positive Lyme disease cases and 2 cases of anaplasmosis.
🐾 Prevention Is Key
If your pet hasn’t been kept on year-round flea and tick prevention, now is a great time to get started and discuss whether testing for previous exposure is appropriate.
Whenever you’re spending time outdoors, be sure to perform a thorough tick check on your pet—and yourself—especially after walks, hikes, gardening, or spending time in the yard.
Routine screening, combined with consistent parasite prevention, gives us the best opportunity to protect your pet’s long-term health.
🔎 Learn More About Parasites & Tick Risk.
Here are some great resources to help you learn more:
ParaRisk: https://pararisk.ca/ — Complete a quick questionnaire to determine your pet’s parasite risk this season.
TickMaps: https://www.tickmaps.ca/?location= — Check the 2-week tick-risk forecast for your area.
eTick: https://etick.ca/ — Submit pictures of ticks for identification.
Tick Talk Canada: https://ticktalkcanada.com/ — Learn more about protecting your pets and family from ticks.
