Call to help fight tick problem

Ticks can cause problems for walkers as well as animals

Experts have called on the Scottish Executive and wildlife managers to play a greater role in combating the growing number of ticks in Scotland's moorland.

The blood-sucking parasite poses a threat to grouse, deer and sheep and causes problems for walkers.

Adam Smith, a senior scientist with the Game Conservancy Trust in Scotland, called on support for compulsory sheep dipping schemes.

The executive said there was currently funding to provide tick control advice.

The Sheep tick will latch onto almost any warm-blooded animal to feed.

Mr Smith, who addressed the conservancy trust's 2006 Scottish conference in Perthshire, said there had been a "worrying" increase in the number of ticks across Scotland.

Climate change problem

As well as acting as carriers for Lyme Disease, the ticks also cluster around the eyes of grouse, sheep and deer, causing swelling which prevents them from feeding.

Mr Smith also said climate change could be causing a rise in the number of ticks, which rely on warmth and dampness to survive.

He added: "One of the possible reasons that we're getting more ticks these days is that there's been an end to what we call compulsory dipping, where sheep had to be dipped to control parasites.

"We're advocating a return to very intensive dipping regimes as an effective way of reducing the tick burden both in sheep and on the general environment."

Public role

Mr Smith said there was a role for the public to play in increasing personal awareness of the problem.

He added: "There is certainly a duty for wildlife managers to take a role in this and government probably does have a major potential role to play because if it supported things like the regular dipping of sheep, it could have a substantial effect on suppressing the tick burden."

A Scottish Executive spokeswoman said current funding allowed the Scottish Agricultural College to help and advise sheep and other livestock farmers on how to control and treat animals with ticks.

This was done, she added, partly through publishing information leaflets on the subject.