South Cariboo residents may have seen some moose since February that appear to have grey or patchy hair or even exposed bloodied skin.
This the result of the moose being infested by the ticks.
Winter ticks (Dermacentor albipictus) can have a significant impact on moose populations when climate and habitat conditions promote high tick numbers.
Tick infestations can sometimes result in severe behavioural and physiological changes and directly impact the survival rates of moose – especially young animals.
This type of tick, which are single-host parasites and solely targets ungulates, goes through three life stages over the winter on one moose and there can be as many as tens of thousands on one animal, says Dan Lirette, senior wildlife biologist for the South Cariboo.
Tick larvae climb up vegetation in the fall and attach themselves to moose that brush by them.
As the ticks mature, they feed on the animal’s blood, which can cause anaemia.
In late winter, the irritation from ticks gorging themselves on blood cause the moose to scratch and groom themselves excessively, resulting in hair loss.
During this time, they spend less time foraging, which is especially dangerous for the younger moose.
The ticks mate on the moose and they lay eggs on the ground in the spring and these eggs hatch in the summer.
Once established in an area, Lirette says the only thing that slows the ticks down is if the eggs are laid on snow and ice, or if there is a cold and rainy fall.
He adds, however, the ticks will migrate to where the moose are.
Folks are being asked to help document moose winter tick infestations by completing and submitting an online Moose Winter Tick Survey before April 30.
The survey will help British Columbia’s wildlife health staff monitor the number of moose affected with these ticks and the extent to which they affect moose around the province.
Anyone interested in contributing to the surveillance program can obtain a copy of the survey online at
http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/download/6AAE0D9D88A34A7EBD487DC4FED75E18 or by contacting Dustin Walsh at: FLNRMoose TickSurvey@gov.bc.ca or 250-617-0725.
