[SA Chris]

Tick Borne Encephalitis has now been found in the UK too.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/apr/05/hikers-urged-to-check-themselves-for-ticks-after-deadly-virus-found-in-uk

[dunnyg]

Climate change is shit, but could it not be the change in chemicals that farmers use to treat sheep and the increase in deer numbers? Correlation != Causation etc.

[SA Chris]

It could. don't know if it is though. Allegedly there were a larger number of deer travelling up and down the Deeside Valley due to lockdown and less cars and walkers about, which has resulted in larger tick populations brought closer to Aberdeen City from the mountains. So you could blame COVID too if you wanted.

[Dingdong]

Climate change is shit, but could it not be the change in chemicals that farmers use to treat sheep and the increase in deer numbers? Correlation != Causation etc.

Longer summers and rise in average temperature along with wet British weather is basically the Goldilocks zone for mosquitoes to thrive. There’s plenty of articles from renowned institutions talking about this https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/197333/disease-carrying-mosquitoes-could-common-europe-2030/

[Johnny Brown]

Climate change is shit, but could it not be the change in chemicals that farmers use to treat sheep and the increase in deer numbers? Correlation != Causation etc.

I’ve always assumed it is all three. In the Peak areas there has been a big increase in deer numbers along with a significant decrease in sheep. On a positive note Pabbay used to be rife with ticks but now barely present due to a big reduction in sheep. Great benefits for the vegetation too.

[Eddies]

I returned from a kayaking expedition around Arisaig (NW Scotland) last weekend and have removed around 40 tiny (mite sized) ticks from my arms and legs!
At lest the ones I've found in the Peak so far are bigger and easy to spot.

[SA Chris]

What a pain in the Arisaig.

[Johnny Brown]

That area has always been bad, it was the first place I encountered them back in the nineties. Did you camp on the islands?

[CapitalistPunter]

I returned from a kayaking expedition around Arisaig (NW Scotland) last weekend and have removed around 40 tiny (mite sized) ticks from my arms and legs!

I saw loads of those tiny ticks recently at Torridon. Little Bastards!