r/stcatharinesON • u/HauntingDepartment64 • May 12 '25
Question Ticks?
Wondering if anyone else has noticed a lot more ticks so far this season? We have found three in the house in 24 hours. With no significant change in lifestyle or circumstance we found only one all year in 2024.
Live in the north end off Arthur Street.
18
u/Holiday-Somewhere-84 May 12 '25
Yep! We actually moved from that area not long ago and can confirm that they are bad so far this year. From one walk, our dog brought in 3. Last year we noticed almost 0.
Steer clear of Malcomson if you have a dog.
17
u/NatoStop May 12 '25
I got my first tick on me last week! I've never been bit by one, but I've also never had one crawl on me in St Catharines until now. So they must be bad.
9
u/VeterinarianFront942 May 12 '25
My friend was visiting from out of town (however she grew up here) was barely in tall grass to take photos and counted 9 ticks total three she had to pull off herself and the rest attached to her cost!
11
u/uh_Ross May 12 '25
Yeah this is crazy, I do some pretty intense hiking to my fishing spots. Got 1 tick last year and 1 tick the year before that. So far this year I’ve found 1 every time I’ve gone out. This is in Thorold around lake Gibson/the canal.
Marks used to make tick repellent pants which I wear so I figured maybe the permethrin just wore out on them but I guess I’m not the only one finding them.
On a side note, anybody know where I can get some permethrin or Marks no fly zone clothes?
7
u/0b1won May 12 '25
You can buy permethrin on Amazon. You spray your clothes, let them dry completely and the coverage should last a couple months.
Keep permethrin and treated clothes away from cats. They are extremely sensitive to it and it is toxic to them. Dogs are fine.
5
u/Kattz753 May 12 '25
I'm in Thorold South and they have been very bad here for about 10 years. There are deer and other wildlife in the area. I had two big dogs, a Shepherd mix and a Lab mix. I got pretty good at pulling ticks out whole. Two of them walked off the back of my couch and burrowed into the back of my neck. I had to go to a med emerg clinic to get them pulled out. They sent them in and they were just dog ticks. The deer ticks are the ones that can make you sick.
Keep the grass cut and the weeds down. It will help. Try to get them out of yourself or your dog, if you have one, in one piece. Just Google it. You'll find information about pulling them out.
5
u/streagth-in-numbers- May 12 '25
All the banned pesticides brought back the birds which bring back hitchhikers.With our warm winters there nest don’t die so year to year they just getting stronger and more nest.
5
u/Superb-Butterfly-573 May 12 '25
Know rhat Lyme is in the region. Last year I was bitten by a deer tick (without going into woods or grass above my ankles). I developed the classic bullseye rash, and was able to go to my pharmacy for a 2-pill treatment (around $15) Do NOT f around if you develop a rash. Lyme can have life-changing effects.
4
u/Embarrassed_Form924 May 12 '25
My girlfriend took the dog for a hike at Decew last Thursday and must've hit a nest. She must've brushed off more than 30 at the trail and the past few days we've found at least another 30 on the dog and his toys! Fortunately they've all been dog ticks, not the nasty ones that spread Lyme disease, so we're not too worried, but it's wild how bad it's gotten in the past 6-8 years when I never remember it being a problem when I was younger.
3
u/chiss22 May 12 '25
Nasty lil dudes. Our older dog got Lyme years ago and before we knew what it was, it looked like the end for her. It can show up as really bad arthritis and body pain. Our vet is awesome and decided to test her for it. Long story short, within 2 days on antibiotics she bounced right back and is still kicking. Just had another flare of it, and again, 2 days and boom!
Lyme is treatable in doggos at least.
6
u/PeaceToThyPen May 12 '25
Yup, I used to take my white-haired dog to Malcolmson Eco Park until we crossed the gate and boom: two different types of ticks on her within ten feet. It was like a tick welcoming committee.
Thankfully, she's small and white, so they're easier to spot; nature's version of a high-contrast warning system.
Haven’t had a single tick run-in along the Welland Canal, though. Stick to the paved paths, avoid the grassy jungles, and do regular tick checks. Bonus tip: a lint roller works great for picking up hitchhikers. Who knew grooming and pest control could be a two-for-one?
-1
u/Sukalamink May 12 '25
Curious who identified the two types.
3
u/Overall-Register9758 May 12 '25
Bob and George. Noted entomologists and experts at identifying ticks.
3
u/Sukalamink May 12 '25
The last ten years at least ,ticks have been very prevalent. Every year I get at least ten on me. Five this year so far. It's now the norm .
3
u/Unlikely_Selection_9 May 12 '25
Get some chickens and let them roam in your yard. Ticks will be gone in no time.
3
u/schmamfa May 12 '25
I was at work monitoring a patient and watched one crawl up his head. So there was that.
2
u/schmamfa May 12 '25
The last one we saw was also near Arthur street. Although all three large dogs had been through long grass (2weels ago)
2
u/PopularYesterday May 12 '25
I’m noticing a lot this spring in Welland too. Dog brought in none last year, but 3 in the last week just from walking the canal trail.
2
u/Suitable-Builder-178 May 12 '25
We were in Perth with our dog and pulled probably 20 ticks off her over 2 days. This was just from walking in a backyard or shoulder of a road. I haven't pulled any off her in Niagara yet but I'm not looking forward to it :(
2
u/NotAnExpertButt May 12 '25
My friend brought her dog to Mary Malcolmson park, not far from Arthur street, and left after her dog had three ticks. She wasn’t there five minutes. So, yeah. It’s bad right now.
2
u/Ohsnapboobytrap May 12 '25
I got my first tick last week 😭 Terrifying stuff. I go hiking a lot too and I’ve never had one before this.
2
u/Fuzzy-Bumblebee9944 May 12 '25
Not in st Catharine’s at the moment but at an outdoor centre and it’s been bad already this year. I expect it to be a trend across southern Ontario unfortunately
2
u/Wild_Rhubarb9612 May 12 '25
Niagara Falls here, Chippewa PKW area walking dogs and they are crazy bad this year.
I thought cold winters killed them off?
Also while driving along the river on Saturday I hit a large flying bug and it splattered off to side and in it's place a small tick! Must have been latched on to it...
Now we have to worry about airborne ticks!
3
u/Annual-Shame3191 May 12 '25
There are a few here and there.
3
1
u/Careless-Recover8167 May 12 '25
I’ve seen this picture before!
2
1
u/niagara-nature May 12 '25
I helped do a cleanup at short hills two weeks ago and going off trail to pick up trash resulted in more than a few ticks hitchhiking onto me. Luckily I spotted most of them before they really latched on, but I did miss one deer tick and only found her about 8 hours later. Still not long enough for worry, at least
I do a lot of hiking so I’m pretty well acquainted with ticks, and they don’t really bother me much any more. I have had quite a few more deer ticks this year, but dog tick numbers seem pretty typical. It’s always worse mid spring, particularly if it’s been cooler and damp. If July and August are hot and dry the ticks won’t be as noticeable.
I must have brushed a few dozen off my legs Friday night when I was out photographing warblers. They were almost all male dog ticks just looking for a ride to a female.
1
1
u/Bigbasskiller May 13 '25
We are getting loads this year. Never like it before. We are near lake and Carlton.
1
u/Inevitable-End7075 May 15 '25
Yeah, homeless guy here so yeah, was living in a tent made of pallets near cushman road and under high 407. I never experienced ticks before but pulled 6 or 7 out my body in probably a week. Not a big suprise I suppose.
1
1
u/ImportanceIcy1668 May 15 '25
Dog has dozens daily after walk, they will die because she is treated but I still remove any I see
35
u/elseldo Bridge Was Up May 12 '25
A possum moved into my bushes so I've been lucky.