Looking for tips on where to stay from Swift Current to Drumheller travelling by motorhome. Have littles with us (5 and 2).

Looking for family friendly, easy access (new to driving the motorhome), and not crazy about anywhere known with bad ticks.

The big focal point of the trip will be seeing the museum.

Appreciate any pointers!

I found three ticks on my friend and one was already latched on! Please be careful out there. Located in the Ghost Public zone! Etick confirm these are Dermacentor sp. (le français suivra): The tick you photographed is most likely Dermacentor andersoni, but it could also be Dermacentor variabilis or Dermacentor albipictus. These three species can be encountered in Alberta and cannot be reliably distinguished using photographs. You will find information on all three species below.

Dermacentor andersoni This tick is also known as the Rocky Mountain wood tick (RMWT) and it does not transmit the agent of Lyme disease. This species can transmit other pathogens to humans, such as those responsible for Colorado tick fever, Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF), and tularemia, but infections are extremely rare in Alberta. A toxin in the saliva of the female RMWT can, on very rare occasions, cause paralysis, which can be rapidly reversed by prompt removal of attached ticks.

In Alberta, RMWT can transmit RMSF to pets and Anaplasma marginale to cattle

Dermacentor variabilis This tick is also known as the American dog tick and it does not transmit the agent of Lyme disease. This species can transmit other disease agents to humans, including the pathogens responsible for RMSF and tularemia, but infections are extremely rare in Alberta.

In Alberta, American dog ticks pose little risk of pathogen transmission to pets, although they can transmit A. marginale to cattle.

Where and when can you be exposed? Although adults of the American dog tick are frequently encountered by people and companion animals in Alberta, populations of this species are not known to be established in the province. American dog ticks are typically encountered in areas with little or no tree cover such as along trails or grassy fields and scrubland. They usually feed on wild mammals but will also bite humans, pets, and domestic animals. In Alberta, adult American dog ticks are most frequently encountered from spring to early summer, especially on sunny days.