Ticks are an increasing problem in Scotland – and Orkney too. Mild winters may be letting them survive into a new spring. Whatever the cause, there’s particular concern about the diseases they carry, including the bacteria that cause Lyme disease and viruses such as tick-borne encephalitis virus (luckily not yet in Scotland). A new project at the MRC-University of Glasgow Centre for Virus Research aims to seek the whole community’s assistance in reporting locations of ticks, to help everyone make informed decisions about enjoying the outdoors safely.

We’ll hear from two members of the team – Dr Benjamin Brennan, the group leader of the Brennan Laboratory, and Sam Langford, the project manager. They’ll cover key areas in tick health and safety and identification, including an introduction to tick biology and identification – and how to stay safe. There’ll be time to ask questions, speak to the researchers, and hear how to get involved with the project. They say the presentation’s best suited for age 12+ but younger audiences are very welcome.