Canadian residents are noticing more ticks — and more wild rumors about why they are appearing, even though public health experts say the rise in blacklegged ticks is tied to real-world factors, not secret aerial drops.
According to The Canadian Press (via CP24), the unsubstantiated rumor about aerial drops appears to have started with an anonymous March 16 forum post claiming a private charter company in Ontario was being paid to disperse "millions of ticks" by air in the spring and fall.
"I work for a private charter company in Ontario Canada. We are paid to spread ticks by plane," the poster alleged without evidence.
They went on to claim that "last spring the ticks dispersed were mostly American dog ticks" and that this year, "they are all deer ticks."
A viral TikTok video, posted May 17, racked up more than 205,000 views and helped drive the claim, calling the poster a "whistleblower." From there, the story continued to spread across X and other social platforms, where some users linked it to broader conspiracy theories about forced vaccines for Lyme disease.
No proof has surfaced to support the claims.
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The original post included no evidence, video or otherwise, and the Ontario Federation of Agriculture said it has not heard of farmers finding tick boxes dropped from the sky in their fields.
Dr. Curtis Russell of Public Health Ontario says the increase in blacklegged ticks is tied to environmental conditions, with warmer seasons helping them take hold in areas where they previously could not. This is a key reason why ticks are moving into habitats like wooded areas, lakeshores, and riverbanks. Migratory birds can also help spread them.
Russell advised using insect repellent and tucking clothing in while outdoors. He also noted there is currently no approved vaccine for Lyme disease.
The Ontario Federation of Agriculture said any legitimate equipment placed on private land would typically involve notice to the landowner, adding that common pest-monitoring devices may sometimes be mistaken for something more suspicious.
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"We do have ticks here in Ontario. They are spreading. But they do like that brushy, wooded area. If they were to stay on a soccer field or something, they would dry up and die," Russell said, per CP24. "So enjoy the outdoors."
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