File photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By Victor Kaisar

Tick Season

People, pets urged to be careful as warmer weather leads to increased tick activity

Mar 20, 2026 | 5:08 PM

KAMLOOPS — With spring officially here and even warmer temperatures on the way, Kamloops-area residents are waking up from their slumber and itching to hit the trails.

They’re not the only ones as there are ticks lurking in many of the hiking trails and nature parks that the Kamloops-area is famous for.

Entomologist Dr. Rob Higgins, an associate professor at Thompson Rivers University, says post-hike checks are important as we’re into tick season which began in February. He says the most prevalent tick in the Kamloops area is the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick, which peaks in late March.

“They’ll be climbing up on the short vegetation, on the grasses, sort of waiting for you as you walk by,” Higgins said. “And they’re going to snag onto you sort of knee high or calf level as they pick up on your activity in the area.”

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In grassy areas, Dr. Higgins recommends walking in a circular route and not in a straight line, as it makes it less likely that ticks will attach to you or your pets. While the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick typically does not transmit Lyme disease, it can cause tick paralysis in about five days.

“It can be be extremely serious as the paralysis will move upwards and eventually get to the respiratory muscles, and cause severe problems breathing,” Higgins said, noting the Rocky Mountain Wood Tick is most frequently encountered until June.

An easy way to protect against ticks bites is to wear light colours and long sleeves and tuck your pant legs into your socks so you don’t end up picking up the mini hitchhikers. It’s easier said than done though in the dog days of summer – or if you’ve got pets with you.

“They actually climb up to the top of the plants and they stick their little legs out. It’s called questing and they’re waiting for an animal to come by to latch on,” Dr. Rebeccah Stewart, a veterinarian at Kamloops Veterinary Clinic said.

“Most of our animals are furred, so it’s pretty easy for them to latch on.”

Higgins says that’s why its important to always give your pets a once-over at the end of every hike. While getting help from a medical professional is an option, Higgins noted there are several tick removal apparatuses available that can help make that process easier.

“I personally just grab the tick in the direction that it’s actually embedded in and hold onto the body and pull it out steadily,” Higgins said. “Don’t twist, don’t yank, don’t pull it backwards and then inspect the tick and take a look at it.”

“You should be able to [tell if you got it all] if you’ve got good eyesight. If you’re not sure, you can always take a photo. You can always bring it into somebody. There are also different apps and things like that that people use to identify ticks”

There are several medication options available to prevent tick-related illnesses in pets, and even collars that can kill and repels pests from animals. While no preventative medication exists yet for humans, a good DEET spray can help repel ticks.

“It can be fairly effective repellent,” Higgins said.

“There are sprays that are safe for pets and things like that that you can use so long as your pet’s not getting burned by that,” Stewart added. “There are some over-the-counter products that you can pick up. I won’t necessarily name names because each clinic and each pet is going to need a different one.”

Despite those best efforts, if a tick makes it way onto your skin, as was the case for a six-year-old child in Merritt this month, expects say all is not lost.

“What’s really quite remarkable given the potential severity of tick paralysis and other diseases, is that it doesn’t require antibiotics or medications,” Higgins said. “You just need to remove the tick and the symptoms will be gone in about an hour.”