Tick season is back. How to stay safe around these risky bloodsuckers – National [Video]

As Canadians flock outdoors for hiking, gardening and sunshine this spring, an unwelcome guest is making its seasonal return: ticks.

Thanks to warming winters and milder temperatures, ticks are thriving in more parts of the country than ever before — bringing a growing risk of tick-borne illnesses like Lyme disease.

Black-legged ticks, the species responsible for most Lyme disease cases in Canada, are expanding their range rapidly and are now found in parts of every southern province. This spread is closely tied to climate change, which allows ticks to survive winter and move into once-too-cold regions, putting more people and pets at risk.

Although there are more than 40 tick species in Canada, the most common one is the black-legged tick, also known as the deer tick, and its numbers are on the rise. These ticks become active once temperatures hit 4 C, and they’ll start looking for a blood meal from animals — or humans.