26. Climate change, migratory birds, and four season tick awareness

We turn our gaze northward to Thunder Bay, Ontario to chat with entomologist Dr. Ken Deacon. While working on a contract with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, he saw the first wood tick in the Thunder Bay area in 2003. He then saw the first black-legged tick in 2005 and has continued to follow the progression of their habitat expansion.He points out that ticks can now be found in northern areas where they never existed in the past, and sees this as a clear indicator of climate change. Not only are the ticks living further north, they are also surviving through the winter. He has observed fluctuations in northern tick populations which appear to coincide with winter temperatures and snow cover. He notes that milder winter temperatures along with a deep insulating layer of snow give ticks a much better chance at surviving the winter.Read the full show notes.