Toronto’s active surveillance program is intended to document locations where blacklegged ticks have become established using a tick dragging method. Tick dragging is a process to collecting ticks in the environment in a systematic way. It is done in the spring and fall when adult ticks are active. Dragging locations are selected based on suitable blacklegged tick habitat or a previous confirmed finding of a blacklegged tick. Blacklegged ticks may still be present in very low numbers at a site where none were found by tick dragging efforts.
The ticks collected, as part of this dragging program, are then tested for the bacteria that causes Lyme disease. It is important to know that blacklegged ticks are possible anywhere in Toronto where there is a suitable habitat even if it is not documented by our tick surveillance program.
Active Tick Surveillance Map
Tick dragging locations and results are available on the active tick surveillance map. Please note: the technology to convert this map to an accessible format is not currently available. These maps may not be compatible with screen reader software. If you are unable to access this map, please contact HEAdmin@toronto.ca.
The map is updated in the spring and fall when tick dragging is completed and laboratory results are received from the National Microbiology Laboratory. Because blacklegged ticks are known to be established at Algonquin Island, Amberdale Ravine, Cedar Ridge Park, Colonel Danforth Trail, High Park, Highland Creek, Morningside Park, Toronto Hunt Club and Rouge Valley Park, Toronto Public Health will now focus tick dragging efforts outside of known risk areas.
Ticks are found in wooded or brushy areas with lots of leaves on the ground or where there are tall grasses. As tick populations are expanding, it is possible that blacklegged ticks could be present outside the areas identified by Toronto Public Health. In addition, ticks can travel or migrate on the bodies of animals such as birds and therefore can be present in an area for a year in very low numbers and then disappear.
Tick dragging results are listed below.
The Active Surveillance data is also available on the City’s Open Data Portal.
| Tick Dragging Locations | Results |
|---|---|
| Anewen Greenbelt | No ticks found |
| Bestview Park | No ticks found |
| Centennial Park Blvd | No ticks found |
| Charles Sauriol Conservation Area | No ticks found |
| Earl Bales Park | No ticks found |
| G Ross Lord Park | No ticks found |
| Guild Park and Gardens | No ticks found |
| High Park | No ticks found |
| Hinder Property | No ticks found |
| Humberwood Park | No ticks found |
| Magwood Park | No ticks found |
| McCowan Park | No ticks found |
| Pine Point Park | No ticks found |
| Rowntree Mills Park | No ticks found |
| Sherwood Park | No ticks found |
| Sunnybrook Park | No ticks found |
| Sylvan Park | No ticks found |
| Toronto Islands – Centre Island City Yard | Six blacklegged ticks found. Tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi. One tested positive for Anaplasma phagocytophilum |
| Toronto Islands – Wards Island | One black legged tick found. Inconclusive for Borrelia burgdorferi.* |
| Warden Woods Park | No ticks found |
| West Dean Park | One black legged tick found. Inconclusive for Borrelia burgdorferi.* |
| Wilket Creek Park | No ticks found |
| Windfields Park | No ticks found |
*One blacklegged tick tested positive for Borrelia burgdorferi, however it was inconclusive if it was from Toronto Islands – Wards Island or West Deane Park
| Tick Dragging Locations | Results |
|---|---|
| Anewen Greenbelt | Three blacklegged ticks found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi |
| Bestview Park | No ticks found |
| Centennial Park Blvd | No ticks found |
| Charles Sauriol Conservation Area | No ticks found |
| Earl Bales Park | No ticks found |
| G Ross Lord Park | No ticks found |
| Guild Park and Gardens | No ticks found |
| High Park | No ticks found |
| Hinder Property | No ticks found |
| Humberwood Park | One blacklegged tick found, tested positive for Borrelia burgdorferi |
| Magwood Park | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi |
| McCowan Park | No ticks found |
| Pine Point Park | No ticks found |
| Rowntree Mills Park | One blacklegged tick nymph, tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi. |
| Sherwood Park | No ticks found |
| Sunnybrook Park | No ticks found |
| Sylvan Park | No ticks found |
| Toronto Islands – Centre Island City Yard | Eight blacklegged tick adults and one nymph, seven of the eight adults tested positive for Borrelia burgdorferi. |
| Toronto Islands – Wards Island | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi |
| Warden Woods Park | No ticks found |
| West Dean Park | No ticks found |
| Wilket Creek Park | No ticks found |
| Windfields Park | No ticks found |
| Park Locations | Results |
|---|---|
| Algonquin Island | Seven blacklegged ticks found, all tested negative for Borrelia burgdferi |
| Amberdale Ravine | Three blacklegged ticks found, all tested negative for Borrelia burgdferi |
| Anewen Greenbelt | No ticks found |
| Bestview Park | No ticks found |
| Betty Sutherland Park | No ticks found |
| Bob Hunter Park | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdferi |
| Brimley Woods Park | No ticks found |
| Brookbanks Park | No ticks found |
| Cedar Ridge Park | Two blacklegged ticks found, both tested negative for Borrelia burgdferi |
| Centre Island | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdferi |
| Charles Sauriol Conservation Area | No ticks found |
| Colonel Danforth Trail | Two blacklegged ticks found, both tested negative for Borrelia burgdferi |
| Cudia Park | No ticks found |
| Doris McCarthy Trail | No ticks found |
| Earl Bales Park | No ticks found |
| Greenvale Park | No ticks found |
| G. Ross Park | No ticks found |
| Guild Park and Gardens | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| High Park | Two blacklegged ticks found, both tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Highland Creek | Two blacklegged ticks found, both tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Hinder Area | No ticks found |
| Humberwood Park | No ticks found |
| Lambton Park | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Magwood Park | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| McCowan Park | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Moore Ravine Park | No ticks found |
| Morningside Park* | Six blacklegged ticks found, one tested positive and five negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Pine Point Park | No ticks found |
| Rowntree Mills Park | No ticks found |
| Rouge National Urban Park | 52 blacklegged ticks found, 25 tested positive and 27 negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Scarboro Crescent Park | No ticks found |
| Sherwood Park | No ticks found |
| Sunnybrook Park | No ticks found |
| Sylvan Park | No ticks found |
| Taylor Creek Park | No ticks found |
| Thompson Memorial Park | No ticks found |
| Toronto Hunt Club | No ticks found |
| Upper Rouge Trail | Thirty-nine blacklegged ticks found, nine tested positive and thirty negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Wards Island | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Warden Woods Park | No ticks found |
| Wilket Creek Park | No ticks found |
| Windfields Park | No ticks found |
* Dragging was completed for a media event
| Park Locations | Results |
|---|---|
| Amberdale Ravine | No ticks found |
| Anewen Greenbelt | Two blacklegged tick larvae, Borrelia burgdorferi testing not applicable for larvae and one blacklegged tick adult, tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi |
| Bestview Park | No ticks found |
| Betty Sutherland Park | No ticks found |
| Bob Hunter Park | No ticks found |
| Brimley Woods Park | No ticks found |
| Brookbanks Park | No ticks found |
| Cedar Ridge Park | 9 blacklegged tick larvae, Borrelia burgdorferi testing not applicable for larvae and two blacklegged tick adults tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi. |
| Charles Sauriol Conservation Area | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Cherry Beach | No ticks found |
| Colonel Danforth Trail | 56 blacklegged ticks found, 18 tested positive and 38 negative for Borrelia burgdoferi. |
| Cudia Park | No ticks found |
| David A Balfour Park | No ticks found |
| Doris McCarthy Trail | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Earl Bales Park | No ticks found |
| Etienne Brule Park | No ticks found |
| Etobicoke Valley Park | No ticks found |
| Greenvale Park | No ticks found |
| G. Ross Park | No ticks found |
| Guild Park and Gardens | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi. |
| High Park | No ticks found |
| Humberwood Park | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Lambton Park | No ticks found |
| Magwood Park | No ticks found |
| Martin Goodman Trail | No ticks found |
| McCowan Park | No ticks found |
| Moore Ravine Park | No ticks found |
| Northwood Park | No ticks found |
| Park Drive Reservation Lands | No ticks found |
| Pine Point Park | No ticks found |
| Rennie Park | No ticks found |
| Riverdale Park East | No ticks found |
| Rouge Park* | 11 blacklegged ticks found, 7 tested positive and 4 tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Rowntree Mills Park | No ticks found |
| Sherwood Park | No ticks found |
| Sunnybrook Park | No ticks found |
| Sylvan Park | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Taylor Creek Park | No ticks found |
| Tommy Thompson Conservation Area | No ticks found |
| Toronto Islands | One blacklegged tick found, tested positive for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Upper Rouge Trail Park | 19 blacklegged ticks found, 10 positive and 9 negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Warden Woods Park | No ticks found |
| Wards Island | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| West Don Parklands | No ticks found |
| Wilket Creek Park | No ticks found |
| Windfields Park | No ticks found |
* Dragging was completed for a media event
| Park Locations | Results |
|---|---|
| Algonquin Island | Two blacklegged ticks found, both tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi. |
| Anewen Greenbelt | Two blacklegged tick larvae found, larvae Borrelia burgdorferi testing not applicable. |
| Bloordale Park | No ticks found |
| Cedar Ridge Park | No ticks found |
| Charles Sauriol Conservation Area | No ticks found |
| Cherry Beach Sports Field | No ticks found |
| Colonel Danforth Trail | Five blacklegged ticks found, all tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi. |
| Cudia Park | No ticks found |
| David A. Balfour Park | No ticks found |
| Doris McCarthy Trail | One blacklegged tick found and tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Earl Bales Park | No ticks found |
| Etienne Brule Park | No ticks found |
| Etobicoke Creek | No ticks found |
| Etobicoke Valley Park | No ticks found |
| Finch Hydro Corridor | No ticks found |
| G. Ross Lord Park | No ticks found |
| Guild Park | No ticks found |
| High Park | No ticks found |
| Highland Creek | Three blacklegged ticks found, one tested positive and two tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi.
Nine blacklegged tick larvae found, Borrelia burgdorferi testing not applicable for larvae. |
| Humber Woods Park | No ticks found |
| Iroquois Park | No ticks found |
| Lambton Park/Lambton Woods | No ticks found |
| Manhattan Park – Massey Creek | No ticks found |
| Martin Goodman Trail | No ticks found |
| Morningside Park | 14 blacklegged ticks found, one tested positive and 13 tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi. |
| Northwood Park | No ticks found |
| Pine Point Park | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi. |
| Rennie Park | No ticks found |
| Riverdale Park East | No ticks found |
| Rouge Valley Park | 122 blacklegged ticks found, 63 tested positive and 59 tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi. |
| Rowntree Mills Park | No ticks found |
| Sherwood Park | No ticks found |
| Summerlea Park | No ticks found |
| Sunnybrook Park | No ticks found |
| Sylvan Park | No ticks found |
| Tommy Thompson Park | No ticks found |
| Toronto Hunt Club | Two blacklegged ticks found, both tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi. |
| West Dean Park | No ticks found |
| Park Locations | Results |
|---|---|
| Algonquin Island Park | Eight blacklegged ticks found, all tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi |
| Bickford Park | No ticks found |
| Bloordale Park | No ticks found |
| Brimley Woods Park | No ticks found |
| Cedar Ridge Park | One blacklegged tick found and tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi. |
| Centre Island | No ticks found |
| Charles Sauriol Conservation Area | No ticks found |
| Colonel Danforth Trail | Eight blacklegged ticks found, one tested positive and seven tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi. |
| Cudia Park | No ticks found |
| David A. Balfour Park | No ticks found |
| Eglinton Park | No ticks found |
| Etienne Brule Park | No ticks found |
| Etobicoke Creek | No ticks found |
| Etobicoke Valley Park | No ticks found |
| Finch Hydro Corridor | No ticks found |
| Glen Stewart Park | No ticks found |
| Hanlan’s Point | No ticks found |
| High Park | No ticks found |
| Humberwoods Park | No ticks found |
| Iroquois Park | No ticks found |
| Joyce Trimmer Park | No ticks found |
| June Rowlands Park | No ticks found |
| Morningside Park | 14 blacklegged ticks found, all tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi |
| Northwood Park | No ticks found |
| Pine Point Park | No ticks found |
| Rennie Park | No ticks found |
| Riverdale Park East | No ticks found |
| Rouge Valley Park | 63 blacklegged ticks found, 29 tested positive and 34 tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi |
| Rowntree Mills Park | One blacklegged tick found, and tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi. |
| Summerlea Park | No ticks found |
| Sunnybrook Park | No ticks found |
| Sylvan Park | No ticks found |
| Tommy Thompson Park | No ticks found |
| Toronto Hunt Club | No ticks found |
| Wards Island | No ticks found |
| West Dean Park | No ticks found |
| Park Locations | Results |
|---|---|
| Algonquin Island | Two blacklegged ticks found, both tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi. |
| Bob Hunter Park | No ticks found |
| Brimley Woods Park | No ticks found |
| Cedar Ridge Park | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi |
| Centre Island | No ticks found |
| Charles Sauriol Conservation Area | No ticks found |
| Cudia Park | No ticks found |
| Etobicoke Creek | No ticks found |
| Greenvale Park | No ticks found |
| Grey Abbey Park | No ticks found |
| Guildwood Park | No ticks found |
| Hanlan’s Point | No ticks found |
| Humber River | No ticks found |
| Joyce Trimmer Park | No ticks found |
| Lavender Creek | No ticks found |
| Leslie Grove Park | No ticks found |
| Milkman’s Lane | No ticks found |
| Morningside Park | Four blacklegged ticks found, all tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi |
| Panorama Park | No ticks found |
| Pine Point Park | No ticks found |
| Rouge Park | 10 blacklegged ticks found, one tested positive and nine tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi |
| Rowntree Mills Park | No ticks found |
| South Marine Drive Park | No ticks found |
| Sunnybrook Park | No ticks found |
| Sylvan Park | No ticks found |
| Tommy Thompson Park | No ticks found |
| Wards Island | No ticks found |
| Park Locations | Results |
|---|---|
| Algonquin Island | No ticks found |
| Danforth Birchmount Parkette | No ticks found |
| Rouge Valley | Three blacklegged ticks found, all tested negative for Borrelia burgdoferi |
| Wards Island | No ticks found |
| Park Location | Result |
|---|---|
| Algonquin Island | One blacklegged tick found, tested negative for Borrelia burgdorferi |