Is Tick Season at Your Cabin Yet? Here's How to Check

It’s a beautiful spring day at the cabin – but are ticks waking up too? Before you step into the woods or let the dog roam free, there’s a handy, free tool to tell if ticks are active near your cabin. Meet eTick.ca, a free interactive tick tracker that shows recent tick sightings across Canada.

We’ll show you the special link to use for eTick to see if ticks are out and about near you this season, explain why ticks matter, and share a few tips to keep these pesky hitchhikers off you and your loved ones.

Using The Tool

So, how do you know if ticks are active in your neck of the woods?

That’s where eTick.ca comes in. eTick is a Canadian online platform (and smartphone app) that maps tick sightings submitted by people across the country. Think of it as a community-driven tick radar: it shows you where ticks have been found recently and experts will even identify what species they are.

If you go to the homepage, you'll see the 20,000 most recent reports on a map which isn't too helpful for knowing if there are any around yet this year.

If you use this link, it still shows the map but it's filtered to only show the tick reports from this year:

Here's a step-by-step on using the eTick interactive map to see what’s crawling in your area this season.

Visit the eTick Map

Make sure you use this link to launch the eTick Map - otherwise you'll need to sort through filters to make sure you're only seeing reports from this season. You’ll see a map of Canada studded with dots or circles. Each marker on the map shows a location where someone has reported a tick. If many ticks were reported close together, you’ll see a circle with a number (a cluster) instead of individual dots – for example, a circle with “50” means 50 tick reports in that general area. Don’t be alarmed by big numbers; that often covers a wide region. Zoom in (use the plus button or pinch-zoom on mobile) on your cabin’s area to break apart the clusters into more pinpoint markers.

Understanding the Icons

On the eTick map, each pin or dot = one tick report. Click on a pin and a sidebar or pop-up will show details about that tick: what species it was (once identified), the date it was found, the location, and who/what it was found on (human, dog, environment, etc.). You’ll even often see a photo of the tick that was submitted! If the pins are colored differently, that usually indicates different tick species or simply different clusters (for example, eTick clusters might appear in blue for small numbers, and warm colors like orange/red for larger clusters – as in the image above). The icons with numbers are just cluster summaries; zoom in closer and they will split into individual points at precise locations where ticks were found. No personal info is shown – just the general location and tick facts, so you don’t have to worry about privacy.

Real-Time Updates

One of the coolest things about eTick is that it updates continuously. New tick reports appear on the map in real time. That means if your neighbour down the road finds a tick and submits it today, you could see it on the map by tomorrow (once an expert has identified it).

In short, using the eTick map is as simple as zooming in on your cabin’s area and checking for any tick markers nearby. If you see none, it might mean no one has reported a tick there recently (yay!) – or it could mean ticks are there but haven’t been spotted yet. Either way, it gives you a heads up. If you do see markers around your area, you’ll know tick season is in swing and can take precautions. You can even click on each report to see what kind of tick was found – for instance, if folks are finding blacklegged ticks (Lyme carriers) versus harmless dog ticks. Knowledge is power!

Ticks 101: Tiny Critters, Big Concerns

Ticks are tiny, eight-legged arachnids (yes, like spiders) that survive by biting and feeding on blood. They lurk in grass, brush, and wooded areas – exactly the kind of places around many cabins and cottages. The reason we hear so much about ticks is the health risk they can pose. Some ticks carry bacteria and viruses that can make people sick, most famously Lyme disease. In fact, the blacklegged tick (also called the deer tick) can spread Lyme and other illnesses through its bite. The good news is not every tick is infected - but you won’t know by looking at it, so it’s best to avoid tick bites when possible and remove any tick you find promptly.

Why worry about a little tick bite?

For one, Lyme disease can cause serious symptoms (fatigue, joint pain, neurological issues) if left untreated. And ticks bite painlessly – you often won’t feel it happening. They can stay attached for days, slowly sipping your blood and potentially transmitting germs as they feed. Removing ticks quickly (within 24-36 hours) greatly lowers the chance of disease transmission. That’s why cabin-goers need to be tick-aware, especially in parts of Canada where ticks are expanding their range. Climate change and wildlife movements are allowing ticks to thrive in more places and for longer periods each year. Public health experts note that the rise of Lyme and the spread of ticks in Canada are growing concerns – but tools like eTick are here to help us all stay informed.

When Are Ticks Most Active?

You might assume ticks are only a summer problem, but they’re actually around from spring through fall whenever it’s warm enough. Ticks become active as soon as the temperature is consistently above freezing and snow has melted. In practice, peak tick season is spring and summer (and into early fall), but if we get a mild winter or early thaw, ticks can show up as early as March or even in a mid-winter warm spell. Generally, nymph (juvenile) ticks are busiest in late spring and summer, while adult ticks tend to seek hosts in spring and again in fall.

What does this mean for your cabin adventures? Essentially, May through September are prime time for tick encounters, but you should stay tick-aware any time the weather is mild. Ticks hide in tall grass, leaf piles, and shrubs, waiting for an animal or person to brush by so they can latch on (a behavior called “questing” where they reach out from a leaf or blade of grass). If you’re opening up the cottage in spring or doing yard work in the fall, you could still find an active tick looking for a meal. Bottom line: if it’s above ~4°C and you're in tick habitat, those little critters could be looking for you.

That’s where eTick.ca comes in handy – it can show you how recently ticks have been spotted near your area, so you know what you’re up against.

Tick Removal 101: How to Safely Remove a Tick

Despite your best efforts, you might one day find a tick attached to your skin (or on your pet). Don’t panic! Removing a tick quickly and properly is the key to preventing illness. Here’s how to do it right:

1. Grab the Right Tool: Use fine-tipped tweezers (or a special tick removal tool) – not your fingers. Grasp the tick by the head, as close to your skin as possible, where it’s attached.
2. Pull Straight Out: With steady, even pressure, pull the tick straight outward (imagine you’re plucking a splinter). Do not twist or jerk the tick, as that can cause the mouthparts to break off under the skin. A slow, firm pull is best.
3. Clean the Bite: Once the tick is out, clean the area with soap and water or rubbing alcohol. Wash your hands too. If part of the tick’s mouth stays embedded and you can’t remove it easily with tweezers, it’s okay – just let the skin heal.
4. Don’t Use “Folk” Methods: Avoid folklore remedies like burning the tick with a match, painting it with nail polish, or smothering it with petroleum jelly. Those don’t make the tick back out – instead, they can stress the tick and cause it to regurgitate its gut contents into your skin (increasing the risk of infection). Yuck! Stick to tweezers.
5. Watch for Symptoms: After removal, keep an eye on the bite area and your health for a few weeks. A small red bump is normal; a spreading rash or “bull’s-eye” ring could be a Lyme rash. Flu-like symptoms could also indicate infection. If in doubt, see a physician.

If you’re not comfortable removing a tick, or it’s in a tricky spot, get help from a healthcare provider. And if the tick is out but you’re concerned (maybe you think it was attached for a long time or have a rash), it’s worth calling your doctor to ask about next steps. They might suggest sending the tick for testing. But for most folks, the main thing is to get the tick off quickly and clean the bite.

Save the tick in a ziplock bag or container if you can – you could submit a photo of it to eTick for identification or show it to a doctor if needed.

Reporting a Tick to eTick: Join the Crowdsource Effort

eTick isn’t just a one-way map – you can contribute too!

In fact, the whole system runs on community reports. If you find a tick on yourself, your child, your pet, or even crawling on a log at your campsite, sending it to eTick helps everyone. Here’s how to report a tick sighting to eTick (it’s quick and free):

1. Snap a Photo: First, take a clear picture of the tick. A close-up with your phone camera works; put the tick in a container or even on a white background next to a coin or ruler for scale. (Pro tip: eTick’s site has a photographic guide – basically, make sure the tick’s details are visible. Take a couple shots if you can.)
2. Create a Free Account: Go to eTick.ca and sign up for an account (only needed the first time). It’s free and just takes a minute. You can also use the eTick mobile app if you prefer – it’s on the App Store and Google Play.
3. Submit the Tick: On the website or app, click “Submit Ticks.” You’ll be asked a few short questions: when and where you found the tick (e.g. nearest town or park, or allow your phone’s GPS to tag the location), and what it was on (person, dog, etc.). Then you upload the photo(s) of the tick. It literally takes only a few minutes per tick to submit.
4. Wait for Identification: After you submit, an expert (usually a biologist or trained technician) will look at your tick photo and identify the species, usually within 24 hours. You’ll get an email with the results – telling you what type of tick it is and any relevant info (for example, if that species is known to carry Lyme in your area, they’ll include health advice). In the meantime, your tick will show up as a pending dot on the map, and once identified, it becomes an official record with the species name attached.
5. Keep (or Toss) the Tick: eTick just needs the photo, so you don’t have to mail the tick anywhere (unless they specifically request it, which is rare). They do suggest you hang onto the tick for a few days just in case the experts ask for another photo or more info. You can keep it in a jar or ziplock in the fridge. After that, you can dispose of it – a good method is putting it in alcohol or flushing it.

Why submit to eTick?

By reporting your tick, you’re helping build the public database that we all use to see tick activity. It’s like crowdsourced science – every tick photo adds a data point on the map, which helps track the spread of ticks across Canada.

Public health authorities actually find this info really useful, because tracking ticks over such a huge area would be expensive and challenging to do alone.

Your report can alert others in your community that ticks are active there, and over time it helps scientists see trends (like new tick species showing up in a region).

In short, your one tick can make a difference. Plus, you get an expert ID for free, which is peace of mind. Instead of guessing if it was a deer tick or just a harmless wood tick, you’ll know – and you’ll get advice on what (if anything) to do next. It’s a win-win: you help science and stay informed about your own find.

Cabin Life Tick-Safety Tips

Knowledge and tools like eTick are fantastic, but they work best alongside good old-fashioned prevention. You can still enjoy the great outdoors tick-free (or at least tick-low) by taking a few simple precautions whenever you’re in tick country. Here are some friendly tick safety tips for cabin and cottage-goers:

• Dress for the Occasion: Fashion-wise, think “tick chic.” That means long pants and long-sleeve shirts, ideally in light colors so you can spot any ticks on you. Tuck your pant legs into your socks and your shirt into your waistband when walking through tall grass or woods – it’s not the coolest look, but it creates a barrier that makes it harder for ticks to reach your skin. And hey, you can always change into shorts on the dock later!
• Use Bug Spray (the right way): Don’t forget to apply a good insect repellent on your shoes, socks, and exposed skin. Look for one with DEET or icaridin (picaridin) – these are proven to repel ticks. Follow the product directions, and consider treating your clothing with permethrin (some outdoor gear comes pre-treated, or you can spray it on clothes yourself). Permethrin actually kills ticks on contact with your clothes.
• Stick to the Path: If you can, walk in the center of trails and avoid brushing against long grass or bushy areas. Ticks love loitering on the edges of trails and in leaf litter. The fewer branches and tall weeds you rub against, the fewer chances for ticks to grab on. This isn’t always possible when roaming your own property, but it’s a good habit on hikes.
• Do a Tick Check (every evening): Make it a ritual after outdoor activities: when you come inside, check your body for ticks. They often crawl around before biting, and even after they bite they can be tiny (nymphs are as small as a poppy seed!). Use a mirror or a buddy to inspect behind knees, under arms, around the waist, in the belly button, behind ears, on the scalp – all the places ticks love to hide. Shower within 2 hours of being outdoors if possible; it can help wash off unattached ticks and gives you a chance to thoroughly check. Toss your clothes in a hot dryer for 10 minutes to kill any hidden ticks on them (ticks can survive washing, but they can’t handle dry heat). And don’t forget Fido: check your pets for ticks after they’ve been outside, too, since they can carry ticks into the cabin.
• Tidy Up Your Yard: Ticks thrive in moist, shaded environments. If you have a yard or surrounding area at your cottage, keep the grass mowed and trim back overgrown shrubs. Clear out leaf piles and brush, especially near pathways or the house. This creates a drier, cleaner zone that ticks are less likely to hang out in. You can also create a barrier (like a strip of wood chips or gravel) between the woods and your lawn to discourage creep-ins. Every little bit helps to make your immediate area less tick-friendly.
• Talk to the Vet: If you bring pets to the cabin, ask your vet about tick prevention for animals. There are effective tick collars, topical treatments, and oral medications that can keep ticks off your furry friends (and out of your bed!). This not only protects your pet from diseases but also means they’re less likely to drop ticks in your cabin.

Being “tick-smart” means you can relax and enjoy cottage season with less worry. None of these tips mean you can’t roam the forest or play in the grass – they just add a layer of protection.

Enjoy the Outdoors (Without Unwanted Hitchhikers)

With a bit of awareness and the help of tools like eTick, you can stay one step ahead of ticks this season. Before your next cabin weekend or hiking adventure, take a peek at the eTick map to see if any tick activity has been reported nearby. Armed with that knowledge, you can gear up with the right clothes and repellent, do your end-of-day tick check, and carry on with your marshmallow roasting and canoe paddling tick-free.

Spread the word to your fellow cabin-goers: a quick tick check (of your skin and the eTick map)can keep the good times rolling. After all, the only thing you want to bring home from the cottage are happy memories – not tiny bloodsuckers.

Stay safe out there, and enjoy the great Canadian outdoors with peace of mind!