Montrealers must now share their picnics and walks with some new parasitic neighbours: ticks. It is a presence that even the most city-bound residents will have to get used to, as these ticks are not about to go away any time soon, according to ecologists.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t get rid of them; it\u2019s inevitable,\u201d Jacques Brodeur, an ecologist and researcher at the University of Montreal, states bluntly. Ticks have arrived in Montreal, and it will not be possible to dislodge them, he believes.<\/p>\n
Gone are the days when these ticks were mainly found in the tall grass of the Mont\u00e9r\u00e9gie region. The tiny creatures are now everywhere, from the Outaouais to the Chaudi\u00e8re-Appalaches region, including major urban centres. Particularly in less well-maintained parks, Mr. Brodeur points out.<\/p>\n
Why should we be concerned? By attaching themselves to their human host to feed on blood, the ticks can transmit, among other things, Lyme disease, but also other bacteria.<\/p>\n
Since 2024, the whole of Montreal has been considered to be a zone where there is a \u201c[significant] risk\u201d of contracting Lyme disease. Before then, the risk was \u201cpresent,\u201d but limited.<\/p>\n
It is the increased presence of urban ticks that has raised the risk of contracting the disease, explains the researcher. \u201cTicks are more abundant on the island than they used to be. We find them in the parks of Mont Royal, in urban woodlands, along the Rivi\u00e8re des Prairies, along the river, and even in public gardens.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Montrealers must now share their picnics and walks with some new parasitic neighbours: ticks. It is a presence that even the most city-bound residents will have to get used to, as these ticks are not about to go away any time soon, according to ecologists.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe can\u2019t get rid of them; it\u2019s inevitable,\u201d Jacques Brodeur, an ecologist and researcher at the University of Montreal, states bluntly. Ticks have arrived in Montreal, and it will not be possible to dislodge them, he believes.<\/p>\n
Gone are the days when these ticks were mainly found in the tall grass of the Mont\u00e9r\u00e9gie region. The tiny creatures are now everywhere, from the Outaouais to the Chaudi\u00e8re-Appalaches region, including major urban centres. Particularly in less well-maintained parks, Mr. Brodeur points out.<\/p>\n