They want to suck your blood. Yes, it’s tick season again, as the little pests are in peak form from the beginning of May until mid-June. Attaching themselves to hosts as they pass low-lying vegetation, the typical tick will find a good spot to suckle. If they go undetected, this feeding frenzy can last for up to a week, or at least until they become so engorged that they simply fall off the host’s body.

Once ticks have latched onto a food source, they become quite difficult to remove, as their salivary glands produce what Parks Canada describes as a “cement-like substance” that holds them in place. Ticks’ favourite spots on the human body seem to be the neck and the (gulp) lower abdomen. 

Parks recommends a number of actions to avoid tick thuggery this spring: walk on cleared trails, wear light-coloured clothing, don’t be afraid to look like a hiking nerd (tuck your pants into your boots and socks), and use insect repellent containing DEET on all uncovered skin.

Also, check yourself thoroughly for ticks, and examine household pets as well. After all, once they’ve feasted, ticks lay several thousand eggs before dropping dead.