Paper short abstract:

The increasing number of ticks in Finnish nature have impacted the outdoor activities of humans and their companion animals. These impacts have been discussed and negotiated in Finnish media and online discourses as risks with significance on everyday life and practices among pet owners.

Paper long abstract:

During recent years, the public debate about the risks related to ticks, humans and their companion animals has increased and been widely negotiated in the Finnish media and online discourses. Many of these discources are based on climate change and its impacts on the increasing number of ticks. Ticks are considered dangerous for both humans and their companion animals due to tick related diseases such as TBE and Lyme disease. The fear of diseases have had a profound impact on the everyday practices shared by humans and their companion animals. The fear of ticks have also changed and continues to change the ways in which Finnish people spend time in nature and enjoy natural environments.

In this paper, I want to address questions of how ticks have influenced the everyday practices of humans and their companion animals with regards to nature. Why is nature nowadays considered a risk for pet owners rather than a place for recreation and as a source for well-being? How are the risks of ticks narrated and negotiated, and what kinds of changes in the everyday and outdoor life has this risk brought about? What kind of strategies have pet owners adapted in order to protect both themselves and their companion animals from the risks of ticks? These questions will be discussed in terms of knowledge formation and transformation as well as adaptation of new everyday practices as available in questionnaires and online discussions.