Dear Editor:
As a scientist, I must respond to the ongoing dialogue on climate change.
When it comes to ticks, these arachnids are eco-adaptive, and can easily survive fluctuating seasonal variations in outdoor temperatures. For instance, in Kenora, blacklegged ticks sustain a temperature differential of 80 degrees Celsius (-44C to +36C). These ticks have antifreeze-like compounds in their bodies, and overwinter in the leaf litter under an insulting blanket of snow.
On hot summer days, they descend into the cool, moist humus layer and rehydrate. Despite a historical mean daily temperature increase of +5 degrees Celsius over the past 80 years, indigenous ticks have survived successfully in Canada since the last ice age 10,000 years ago.
Furthermore, any government-funded research on ticks and climate change has been inconclusive in showing any notable effect on ticks. Native ticks have been here all along, and overlooked until recently. Public awareness is the key factor in any increase or decrease noted during surveillance of ticks. When it comes to ticks, climate change is a non-issue.
My research shows that blacklegged ticks are present in Centre Wellington, and 36% of the adults are infected with the Lyme disease bacterium. People must do full-body tick checks after they have been out in wooded areas, and health care practitioners must acknowledge that Lyme disease is here in this area.
John Scott,
Fergus