Tick season has arrived in the Thompson-Okanagan

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The start of spring also brings with it tick season in the Thompson-Okanagan.

Peachland resident Margaret Derksen is sounding the alarm after finding a large tick on her granddaughter's head. Derksen believes Madison got the tick bite either Saturday or Sunday.

"They were out playing in the back yard and then they were out playing at the beach where they have the wood chips there. We went for a walk where the old golf course was. I honestly do not know where she picked it up. My guess is maybe down by the park with all the wood chips," she said.

Derksen didn't spot the tick until Monday.

"It was pretty gross. It was a very large tick," she said, adding it is believed it was a wood tick.

Derksen says they stopped at Ridge Meadows Hospital in Maple Ridge on the way to Vancouver.

"The doctor was wonderful. He got the whole tick out all intact," Derksen added, explaining her granddaughter was also treated for Lyme disease as a precaution.

Madison is reportedly doing well and has no signs or symptoms of the disease. Test results for the tick are expected to come back in a few days.

Lyme disease is caused by the bacterium borrelia burgdorferi and the borrelia mayonii. It is transmitted to humans through the bite of infected blacklegged ticks.

Ticks can be found year-round in B.C. but they are most likely to bite in the spring (from March to June).

Information on dealing with the nasty critters and Lyme disease can be found here.