Understanding the Rising Risk of Ticks and How to Stay Safe

Gamekeepers, farmers, and moorland managers are increasingly raising the alarm about a tiny, growing threat hidden in the undergrowth: the tick.

These small, blood-sucking arachnids are more than just a nuisance. They are bringing a significantly increased risk of Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses to our rural landscapes.

Here is what you need to know about the rising tick population, the health risks they pose, and how active land management and personal vigilance can keep you safe.

The Growing Threat: A Surge in Tick Populations

Across the UK, particularly in northern regions, those who work on the land are reporting a massive and visible increase in tick numbers. In some areas, visitors and their dogs are finding themselves absolutely covered in ticks the moment they step out of their cars.

Official figures record around 1,500 laboratory-confirmed cases a year in England and Wales, but public health guidance estimates 3,000–4,000 new cases annually once clinically diagnosed cases are included.

To put this into historical perspective, twenty years ago the UK saw only around 250 reported cases of Lyme disease each year.

Other organisations argue the real burden could be higher still, with GP-record studies and charity estimates suggesting figures closer to 10,000 cases a year. Other estimates have put the possible total as high as 45,000

Because Lyme disease can be notoriously difficult to diagnose - often mistaken for viruses like COVID-19 or conditions such as ME, arthritis, or lupus - many cases go underreported and untreated.

Health Risks: More Than Just a Nuisance

Ticks are vectors, meaning they can transmit a range of dangerous pathogens through their bites. The risks they pose extend to humans, pets, livestock, and native wildlife.

The Risks to Human Health

Lyme disease, a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi, is the most common tick-borne disease in the UK. In its early stages, symptoms can include:

• A characteristic "bull’s-eye" rash (Erythema Migrans)

• Severe fatigue and lethargy

• Headaches and a stiff neck

• Flu-like illness and nausea

• Migratory muscle and joint pain

• Facial palsy or droop

If left untreated, Lyme disease can progress to a chronic, debilitating stage with severe joint pain, neurological problems, and long-term fatigue that can affect patients for decades. Ticks are also known to carry other serious illnesses, such as tick-borne encephalitis.

Devastating Impacts on Wildlife and Animals

The threat isn't limited to humans. Ground-nesting birds are particularly vulnerable to infestations and dogs can suffer from fever and lethargy following a bite.

Furthermore, both sheep and red grouse are susceptible to the louping-ill virus, a disease carried by ticks that can cause mortality rates as high as 80% in grouse populations.

With the vaccine that previously protected animals against louping-ill virus currently unavailable, the threat to animal welfare is higher than ever.

Land Management: A Key to Tick Control

Why are we seeing such a dramatic rise in ticks? The answer is closely tied to how our land is managed.

Protecting Yourself: Your First Line of Defence

While land managers work to control tick populations, it is vital that you take proactive steps to avoid bites when enjoying the countryside. Prevention is always your best defence.

Stay Informed, Stay Safe

We want everyone to get out and enjoy the beauty of our moorlands, but it is crucial to do so safely. By staying informed about the rising tick population, taking simple preventive measures, and supporting active land management practices that keep our countryside healthy, we can protect ourselves, our pets, and our wildlife from the hidden threat in the heather.

Stay vigilant, stick to the paths, and enjoy the great outdoors safely.