When ticks appear in spring - the beginning and end of the active season, how to protect yourself

The tick season in 2022 began ahead of schedule and the first victims went to emergency rooms at the end of March. The first ticks wake up and attach themselves to a person usually in mid-April; last year, the first cases of bites were also recorded in March, and these are not isolated cases, but the full beginning of the tick season. How is the situation now? Are ticks active and do they pose a threat to people and animals? Let's consider the main periods of activity of ixodid ticks and methods of protection against them.

Tick ​​activity period

Ticks begin to wake up from hibernation in early spring and remain active until autumn. Previously, the first complaints were received around the end of April. But last year, the first complaint of a tick bite was received in March. Many associate this with the coming global warming. We don’t know whether this is true or not, but it is a fact that ticks began to wake up earlier.

Despite their early activity, ticks still prefer the sun. The ideal air temperature for them is 20 degrees. At night they hardly hunt, only certain species. For example, representatives of the ixodid group. They can migrate over short distances and do this at night.

It is ixodid ticks that are carriers of dangerous diseases.

But despite the love for warm temperatures, spring is still the peak. Waking up from hibernation, you need to take care of food. And for them, food is you and me. That's why attacks are very frequent. In addition, ticks do not favor hot weather. Ticks prefer a moist environment. Therefore, if there has been a light rain recently, this is not the time to go for a walk in the forest. It is at this time that they crawl out of their hiding places.

Frost and sun are the enemies of parasites

The main sign that these small arthropods have disappeared is frost or heat. Both the first and second creatures are very feared. In summer weather they hide from the sun. But here it should be noted that they survive the slight heat in those places where people go who also want to get away from the scorching rays. Therefore, if an increase in temperature is predicted for only a few days, and the rest of the summer will be moderate, it is better to use protective equipment.

Despite the fact that today hectares of land are treated for various dangerous insects and parasites, some still manage to survive. Even the capital's forests in certain years were full of these small forest leeches. When will ticks completely disappear in the Moscow region? In autumn. In October and November, the chances of becoming a victim of the parasite are minimal. In addition, at this time of year the nature is especially beautiful, and the air is very healing.

When to be wary of ticks

When do ticks appear? As we have already found out, ticks appear in the spring and you should be wary of them until the end of autumn. But she does not lead an active lifestyle throughout the warm period. The life of a tick is cyclical, each time moving from one stage to another, the tick needs blood for food and growth. Therefore, there are months that are especially dangerous. During their short life, ticks go through several stages: embryo, larva, nymph and adult. The embryo does not need nutrition; the female provides it with the necessary supply of food, and the larva feeds on the blood of small rodents.

The tick is a carrier of the virus , but it is initially born healthy.
Those. it can become a carrier if it bites a victim with the virus. But there is another way of infection - through a female who has laid a clutch. In this case, if the female tick has already been infected, then the larvae are also infected. They cannot attach themselves to humans, but they can be eaten by livestock. In this case, it will become infected and if you eat raw food from an infected animal, you risk getting sick. The development of different stages of a tick takes time. First of all, the speed depends on climatic factors: temperature and humidity. If the larva does not have time to be satisfied before the onset of cold weather, then it simply leaves for the winter, hiding in a nest or rotten foliage. The peak activity of individuals that have not reached sexual maturity is autumn. If they did not have time to attack the victim before winter, then spring is such a period. In this regard, summer is not really the peak of activity. But this applies to the middle zone. After the larva has become a nymph, development to a mature individual occurs very quickly.

On average, the entire development cycle can take up to 3 years. During these three years, the individual is not particularly dangerous to humans; the little thing prefers to parasitize small animals. But this does not mean that under favorable conditions they will not attack a person. Plus, don't forget about the risk of infection from livestock.

Life cycle features

Nymphs, fertilized females, overwinter. The former continue the development cycle, the latter complete it - they lay eggs, giving life to a new generation. In spring, the number of eggs laid is in the thousands. The life cycle of a tick lasts 2 years, during which time the parasite changes 3 hosts.

After their birth, the larvae begin to look for their first host. They become wild animals, rodents, birds. They drink blood and disappear after a few days. In well-warmed soil they molt and turn into a nymph. This happens either at the end of summer or autumn. In the first case, the pest looks for a host again, in the second, it hibernates.

The second host for nymphs are wild animals, domestic animals, artiodactyls, rodents, and parasites also attack people. Having drunk blood, the nymph falls to the ground again and turns into an imago. Further development continues in the spring of next year. Young females and males find prey, drink blood, and achieve sexual activity. They begin to lay eggs.

Life cycle of a tick

Precautions when visiting dangerous areas and places

You can pick up a tick anywhere, even in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kyiv, Minsk or any other city. But most often they occur:

• in a forested area;
• in a forested area;
• on a summer cottage.

For forest walks and outdoor recreation, choose closed clothing; the collar of your outerwear should fit close to your neck, and it is advisable to tuck in your T-shirt. Sleeves and trouser legs should be long. It is better to wear rubber shoes, preferably high boots. Cover your head with a headscarf or cap. If the clothes are light, then it will not be difficult for you to see a tick crawling on it.

For stops and parking in the forest, choose dry pine meadows without tall thickets. Don’t sit on the ground, much less lie down on the grass. Before and after spending the night, be sure to inspect your entire body.

From time to time, inspect yourself and your loved ones for the presence of bloodsuckers. This issue should not be taken lightly. If you find a tick that has not yet attached itself, remove it from yourself. If it has stuck, then the faster you remove it, the less the risk of contracting a serious disease.

Forest clothing must be stored separately from regular clothing so that ticks do not transfer to it. Upon arrival from the forest, inspect your clothes, shake them out in a place away from populated areas and put them in a bag and tie it tightly. Another good way to protect your clothes from ticks is to treat them with an acaricide before and after a walk in the forest.

Use products that repel or kill ticks. The drugs can be purchased at pharmacies and hardware stores. Before purchasing and using, be sure to read the instructions.

Remember! There are three main types of tick sprays:

Repellent

– repels ticks, can be applied to exposed skin. They last for about 2-5 hours, then disappear.

Acaricidal

– kill ticks, applied to clothing, not applied to skin. The effect lasts up to several days.

Acaricidal-repellent

– at the same time they repel and, in case of contact of the parasite with the substance, paralyze it.

Cost of tick treatment

• Sites
• Houses and cottages
• Travel outside the Moscow Ring Road

Types of treatment against ticks

Professional tick treatment services in Moscow and Moscow Region use two main methods - fumigation using cold and hot fog. Using special devices, the working solution of the acaricidal agent is sprayed over a certain area. Disinsection is carried out when there is a sharp increase in the population to destroy arthropods, as well as for preventive purposes to prevent uncontrolled reproduction of ticks.

Cold fog is the transformation of liquid into a fine aerosol. Suitable for treating small areas - flower beds, lawns, local areas, cottages.

Hot fog - the formation of smoke (steam) when the working solution is heated. The method is used to remove arthropods from fields, forests, and to disinfect large areas.

The sooner treatment against ticks is organized, the lower the statistics of cases of arthropod attacks. carries out tick treatment in Moscow and the surrounding Moscow region in one day. The effectiveness of the event is ensured by professional exterminators, the use of safe preparations, and innovative equipment.

When do ticks appear?

Already in April - May, patients with tick bites come to the hospital. Because it is during this period that they appear on the soil surface. Somewhere from mid-April, when the weather is warm and the sun warms the ground well, thawed patches appear. And at this time the ticks wake up.

Due to the fact that these insects are constantly in search of food, the number of victims increases sharply. Please note that in the future their activity does not depend on the weather. Even if the summer is quite cool, dangerous insects will continue their “hunt”. Therefore, care must be taken even in rainy weather.

Symptoms of encephalitis

The danger of contracting encephalitis after an insect bite is very high. The incubation period can last from several days to 2-3 months.

The main symptoms of the disease are:

• increased sweating;
• weakness;
• fever and fever;
• drowsiness;
• headache;
• diarrhea;
• muscle pain.

The disease usually begins abruptly - with fever, muscle pain and body aches. After 2-3 days, a disorder of the central nervous system and muscle paralysis begins. In case of paralysis of the respiratory system, death occurs. A timely visit to the hospital will help prevent such a situation, but serious consequences in the form of muscle atrophy or deterioration of mental abilities are possible.

These insects are also carriers of borreliosis, a serious infectious disease that causes damage to the skin, musculoskeletal system and nervous system.

When does tick season end?

We are talking about the summer period, so when going on vacation, a person wants to be sure that he will be completely safe. This issue becomes especially relevant in August. When the heat subsides, it begins to seem that it is more difficult to meet a tick in the forest or in the park.

This is due to the number of ticks, because it is rapidly decreasing. And therefore, in the middle of summer, people who have been bitten practically do not turn to doctors for help. Such a decrease in numbers is associated with the death of insects. The cause of death is the lack of reserve nutrients in their body.

But this does not mean at all that in August or September you can not worry and relax calmly. Experts assure that parasites can be found in parks and forests even in October. Provided the weather is favorable. That is why it is generally accepted that the tick season ends with the first noticeable cold weather.

In what weather are insects most dangerous?

Quite often, experts hear from people the question of how the weather affects the activity of parasites. Indeed, temperature conditions can largely affect the activity of ticks. The most favorable range is considered to be from 15 to 20 degrees Celsius. They do not tolerate heat very well, so on a dry, sunny day the chances of becoming a victim of this parasite are negligible.

They are also affected by air humidity. And, unfortunately, many people forget about this. Moreover, there is an opinion that rain helps to reduce their activity. Of course, walking through the forest during rain, you are completely safe. But in general, moisture is a favorable factor for them. It is noteworthy that insects prefer cloudy weather. After all, the air is saturated with humidity. This is why walking through a forest, park or pasture in cloudy weather is not a good idea. Even if it's summer, like August. It is important to remember that ticks can attack even in September or October.

From what has been written above, we can conclude that determining the exact time when ticks awaken is not an easy task. This is true. Moreover, in certain areas they are activated much earlier. For example, residents of the Leningrad region are forced to put up with the fact that these parasites begin to attack them in early spring - early April. But in other areas they may appear in May or even early June.

That is why quite often people ask specialists another question: what temperature is favorable for ticks to awaken? After all, knowing this, it is much easier to predict exactly when to start fearing for your health and take precautions.

When answering the question at what temperature ticks are activated, it is necessary to mention that awakening occurs at a fairly low temperature - only 1-3 degrees Celsius. Why does no one come to the clinic with complaints during this period? This is explained by the fact that at this temperature people dress quite warmly. And therefore the risk of being attacked by a parasite is practically zero. Consequently, the awakening of ticks itself remains largely unnoticed by people.

First tick activity

The first activity of ticks is observed during the period when the soil surface warms up by 6.7 degrees. That is why the first cases of bites occur at the end of March, beginning of April. They live on the soil surface, on the first sprouts of grass, and on the branches of small shrubs.

There is an opinion among people that ticks are able to climb high and hide in the crowns of trees. This is a misconception, since this parasitic insect does not climb to a height of more than three meters. Bright sun rays and winds are not entirely favorable for him. For the same reason, on hot summer days they hide in holes and only after rain, at times of high humidity, can they appear outside. Therefore, we can say with confidence that tick activity lasts from April to October .

There are more ticks in the east than in the west

The degree of danger of contracting tick-borne encephalitis within the main tick habitat increases from west to east. Cases of disease are recorded especially often in the southern regions of the Far East. Most likely, this is due to humid, warm summers and the presence of mixed forests.

The most dangerous regions of the Far East:

• Amur region;
• Sakhalin;
• Khabarovsk region;
• Jewish Autonomous Region;
• Primorsky Krai.

What is characteristic: following warming, ticks move from east to west, and the peak of their numbers and activity in different regions varies throughout the season.

How parasites behave at night

As you know, some species of animals, reptiles, and arachnids are more active at certain times of the day. For example, some species of spiders prefer to go hunting in the dark. But does this rule apply to ticks? Perhaps at night or early in the morning a person can feel relatively safe?

Studies that have been carried out repeatedly have shown that ticks have no connection to the time of day. They can be dangerous both at night and during the day. However, it is necessary to make a small clarification. On hot summer days, when the temperature reaches 30 degrees, the activity of parasites decreases. They prefer to stay in their hiding places and not attack victims.

But as soon as night falls, bringing with it coolness, they leave their shelters. And that is why the illusion is created that periods of their activity may depend on the time of day. But in reality this is not the case. The only thing that can affect the activity of ticks is weather conditions. If they are favorable, the ticks will begin searching for food.

Weather is a major factor

The parasite attaches itself to the human body through an organ called the hypostome. With its help, it not only holds on to the skin, but also sucks out blood. Irritation occurs in the place where the insect has attached itself. If the parasite is not removed in time, it can lead to dire consequences. The main reason why people suffer from attacks by these creatures is a lack of information. Few people know when ticks appear and disappear.

The first attacks can occur in the early months of spring, when the soil temperature warms up to 0.3 degrees.

Weather conditions greatly contribute to the appearance of ticks. In years when winter is characterized by abnormal heat and spring comes very early, parasites become active extremely quickly and in large numbers. Significant thunderstorms and heavy rains, after which the air temperature rises sharply, also contribute to their appearance. Significant cold is when ticks disappear and cease to pose a danger.

How do you know if ticks are awake?

To find out if ticks are active in your area, take a white piece of cloth the size of a hand towel and run it over the ground or the first green area where insects are likely to be present. If ticks are awakened, several individuals will most likely end up on the material. The original version of this method recommends using a waffle towel placed on a pole like a flag, but you can limit yourself to any fleecy fabric that the insect can cling to.

If you do not want to experiment on your own or are interested in the question purely theoretically, the easiest way to find out about the awakening of ticks is to look through the local media or your regional Rospotrebnadzor website for the first reports of bites.

Danger to humans - diseases that ticks can infect

While the parasites are active and at the stage of preparation for wintering, they can carry diseases that can cause a number of serious consequences:

• tick-borne encephalitis;
• borreliosis;
• monocytic ehrlichiosis;
• tularemia;

• hemorrhagic fever;
• piroplasmosis (found in dogs);
• hematozoonosis;
• Tyleriosis.

Despite the variety of dangerous diseases, parasites most often carry bacteria that cause borreliosis. Encephalitis develops less frequently. However, when ranking the most common diseases, this does not indicate widespread infection. In fact, such diseases are not diagnosed very often (6 cases out of 100).

It's about

that of the listed diseases, borreliosis is determined more often, encephalitis is in second place.

Erythema from a tick bite is a symptom of borreliosis (Lyme disease)

The danger of infection with tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis depending on the time of year

Ixodid ticks are specific carriers of pathogens of many vector-borne natural focal diseases that are dangerous to humans and domestic animals.

The most dangerous are tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis. The causative agents of these diseases can be present in the tick body at all stages of its development - from egg to adult.

Most often, taiga ticks are carriers of dangerous diseases - their degree of infection reaches 10-15% of the total population.

Infection of a person with tick-borne encephalitis can occur in two ways:

• Transmissible - through direct contact, bite or crushing of an infected parasite;
• Alimentary – when consuming milk from sick animals or dairy products that have not undergone heat treatment.

Goats and sheep can asymptomatically carry tick-borne encephalitis and are a source of increased danger to humans.

The likelihood of encephalitis in humans directly depends on the size of the parasite population in the area of ​​residence, the degree of their aggressiveness, as well as the size of the natural focus of pathogens.

During periods of summer diapause, the chance of becoming a victim of an infected tick is significantly lower. However, pasture animals often ingest tick larvae along with grassy vegetation and themselves become carriers of a dangerous disease.

In Russia, regions that are epidemic for tick-borne encephalitis include Siberia, the Far East and Karelia. In the center of Russia, including the Moscow region, the incidence of this disease is low. Below is a map of the distribution of tick-borne encephalitis:

Another, no less dangerous disease transmitted by ixodid ticks is borreliosis (Lyme disease). The distribution area of ​​this disease covers the entire territory of the Russian Federation, from Kaliningrad to Sakhalin. Borreliosis is registered in all regions of the country with a frequency of two to four cases per hundred thousand inhabitants.

The likelihood of contracting tick-borne borreliosis directly depends on natural and climatic factors and the size of the tick population in the area.

It is important to know

Transmission of the Lyme borreliosis pathogen to humans can occur not only through a bite, but also when the parasite is crushed while being removed from pets (through damaged skin).

The most dangerous epidemic periods coincide with periods of seasonal activity of ticks and have obvious pronounced jumps from April to June and from August to October.

During the hot period, ixodid ticks make daily migrations between grass layers, so at night there is an increased likelihood of becoming a victim of the parasite . All ixodid ticks are active around the clock outside of the diapause period.

Also a serious factor that increases the number of foci of the causative agent of borreliosis is the number of small vertebrates within the habitat of the parasite. In some climatic zones, the maintenance of natural Borrelia reservoirs is ensured solely by voles and shrews. With a decrease in the number of these rodents, the number of registered diseases of tick-borne borreliosis among the local population decreases significantly.

The season of increased risk of tick-borne infections, as a rule, directly depends on the activity of the parasite. And although humans are an accidental component of the parasitic system of ixodid ticks, it is important to always remember preventive safety measures, especially during those periods when the seasonal activity of the parasite reaches its maximum.

National problem

These small parasites are most common in forests in the Siberian, Volga, and Ural districts. There are fewer of them in other regions of the country, but even there people suffer from them. Every year, 400,000 Russians go to medical institutions with bites from these arthropods. It is worth noting that a fourth of this figure are children under 14 years of age. Additionally, these statistics do not include individuals who provided treatment at home. Animals also suffer from these leeches: from dogs to goats.

In order to avoid becoming a victim of parasites, you need to know during what period they become active and when the mites disappear.

Today there are more than 48,000 species in nature. This number is associated with evolution. This class lives in the first layers of soil, the chemical and mineral composition of which varies depending on the territory. The length of ticks is usually from 0.2 to 0.4 mm, but there are also giants that reach 5 mm in size.

How long can mites live on clothing?

Without food and water, ticks can live up to 3 years. But the likelihood of bringing an arthropod home is low. They usually dig in or fall off. However, if the bloodsucker gets tangled in the folds of clothing, it may end up in a city apartment. There is a possibility of bringing the parasite in a bouquet of flowers, berries or mushrooms.

Human housing is not suitable for the life of arachnids; it has low humidity and lacks other usual components. Therefore, forest ticks do not reproduce in apartments. However, a tick that gets home can bite any member of the household. How long an arthropod parasite can be active depends on specific conditions - humidity, temperature.

To get rid of the danger of a tick bite at home after a walk in the forest, you need to thoroughly shake up your clothes outside and wash them. Also carefully check bags, tents, forest products and other things that travelers took with them into nature.

Ticks on clothes Everyone who went for a walk should be examined for bites. Pay special attention to the favorite places of arachnids - armpits, neck, groin, chest, head. Comb your hair with a fine comb.

Habitats

Ticks prefer moderate humidity and no direct sunlight. Therefore, arachnids are most often found in deciduous and mixed forests, where they live in tall grass or dense undergrowth. However, ticks gradually occupy increasingly larger territories. In recent years, they can increasingly be found in summer cottages and city parks.

Ticks also settle on trees, but almost never rise to a height of more than 1.2 - 1.4 m. Most often, parasites take refuge under the bark or in cracks on the lower part of the trunk. Such shelter attracts arthropods even more if there is dense grass growth around the tree.

Tick ​​attacks on pets

Among the victims of tick bites are a huge number of pets. In Moscow parks and squares, ixodid ticks most often attack cats and dogs, especially stray ones. A serious disease that a pet can contract from a tick is called “pyroplasmosis.” At the same time, vaccination is too expensive and ineffective. It is best to treat your pet with drops against ticks and fleas, or give special tablets from March to November. There are also cases of animals being infected with leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis or chlamydia.

If the tick has not had time to attach itself to the animal, it can easily crawl onto a person in close contact with the animal, for example, if it sleeps in your bed.

If you are bitten by a tick

1.Contact the ambulance

Seemingly following all the “safety precautions”, but in the end not having provided for some little detail, you found a tick already “attached” to yourself - don’t panic. Contact the ambulance by local telephone by dialing 103 or by mobile phone to number 112 or 03*. Find out from the experts what measures you should take first.

If you are unable to contact an ambulance by phone, and there is no emergency room or any other medical facility nearby, you will have to remove the tick yourself. This should be done carefully and slowly. If you crush it, there is a risk of direct infection through microcracks in the skin.

2.Remove the tick

Specialists from Rospotrebnadzor in Moscow advise grasping the tick with tweezers or fingers (gloved/wrapped in cloth) as close to its mouth as possible and holding it strictly perpendicular to the surface of the bite and turning the insect’s body around its axis. After the tick is removed, the bite site must be disinfected with any alcohol-containing product, and hands must be washed thoroughly with soap.

The removed tick must be left alive and brought safely to the laboratory, where it will be known whether there is a risk of any infection. The insect can be transported in a closed container with a small piece of slightly damp cotton wool or cloth. If you do not have the opportunity to conduct research on the tick, you should burn it or pour boiling water over it.

3.Seek help from a specialist

After you notice an “attached” tick, seek help from a medical facility as soon as possible.

Those who have not been vaccinated will be urgently administered immunoglobulin against tick-borne encephalitis at an appointment with an infectious disease specialist. It is important that the injection is given no later than the 4th day after the tick has been sucked on. Also, the doctor may recommend taking a course of antiviral drugs.

If the insect was a carrier of borreliosis, the infected person will be prescribed a course of antibiotics. It is possible to find out what exactly the tick “suffered” from through a blood test 10 days after the bite. Thus, even a vaccinated person needs to go to a medical facility.

Methods of protection

During the active period, ticks perfectly detect the approach of warm-blooded animals within 10 - 15 m.

The limbs of insects have hooks with which they catch the person or animal that touches them and dig into the body.

Arms and legs must be covered

To protect yourself, a person needs to choose appropriate clothing for a walk in the forest: a shirt with a tight-fitting collar and cuffs and trousers, which are best tucked into high socks. It is preferable to wear boots on your feet, and some kind of headdress or hood on your head. The inconvenience of such equipment in warm weather is compensated by safety in the event of an encounter with a parasite.

During your walk, you should carefully inspect yourself and your companions for ticks.

Particular attention should be paid to the ears, armpits, groin and other hairy parts of the body. Ticks that have not yet attached themselves may end up in the folds of the fabric, so it is best to remove all clothing before entering the room and wash it thoroughly

Animals are also carefully examined; if an attached tick is detected, it must be immediately carefully removed by treating the bite site. For an overview of the anti-encephalitis suit, watch this video:

One of the most effective methods of protection is vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis based on a killed virus. Vaccinations should be done from the end of October to April in 4 stages. This measure is especially relevant in places of increased tick activity and for those whose work involves frequent visits to forests and parks.

Fighting methods

You can repel them with cologne with a strong smell, essential oils of citronella, lavender, and cloves. They use sprays and aerosols - Gardex, Reftamid Antiklesch, Raptor, Raid, Taiga, Off, Moskitol. Spray clothes thoroughly; some products can be applied directly to the skin.

To rid your land of parasites and ensure safe outdoor recreation, they use smoke bombs - Quiet Evening, Whirlwind, Fomorian. Use solutions for spraying grass and trees based on insectoacaricides. You can poison with the drug Cifox, Sinuzan, Executioner, Medilis-Ziper, Forsyth.

Ticks are not poisoned en masse, as this increases the chances of death of natural enemies - birds, animals, insects. This explains the fact why there are a lot of ticks. Initially, after using chemicals, pests disappear, but along with them, natural enemies. Over time, the population of pests increases, but there are no “exterminators” of them. A situation arises when people say, before there were no ticks, now there are a lot of them.

Pests can become active at the end of March and end their activity in November. Therefore, you should always remember about safety, but you should not be afraid of panic. Not all ticks are contagious; if you consult a specialist in a timely manner, the risk of the disease is reduced or the disease proceeds without complications. You should protect yourself in advance with clothing, anti-tick medications, and get vaccinated when visiting dangerous territories or areas.

Cloth

When going on vacation, first of all, it is important to ensure that you have the proper clothing. And it doesn’t matter where exactly you are going, to the forest, to the nearest park or to the country - ticks can be found absolutely anywhere where there is at least some vegetation. And to prevent the bloodsucker from sucking on, it is necessary to cover the entire body. Moreover, close it correctly, and this can be done if you know the structural features of the tick, due to which it can only crawl upward.

• For the upper body - something with long sleeves. This could be a shirt, jacket, raglan, etc. In this case, it is desirable that the collar covers the neck.
• For the lower body, trousers are a must. It is better to refrain from wearing shorts.
• Pants should be tucked into socks, and the top of clothing should be tucked into the bottom. For added protection, you can tighten the belt around your waist.
• It is important that all clothing is made of dense materials. As for its tones, light ones are preferable, since such ticks are quite easy to notice.

On a note! Surprisingly, the thinnest nylon tights can stop ticks. Although this is far from the most suitable item of clothing for outdoor recreation, although on the other hand they can be worn under trousers!

On sale today you can find special suits called anti-encephalitis, popularly known as encephalitis. They are made of durable, dense fabrics and equipped with drawstrings that provide additional protection against ticks. But if you don’t like this suit, then you don’t have to buy it. It’s quite possible to limit yourself to your everyday clothes, but you just need to tuck them all in!

How to protect yourself while hiking

When hiking at rest stops or while walking, you should not sit down or lie down to rest in the grass; it is better to choose places where the soil is bare or tear out all the grass within a radius of several meters. A barrier in the form of a cleared area will create good protection - ticks do not leave areas covered with grass.

It is better to choose places for overnight and rest away from the paths in dry, bright places (there are more ticks in the damp corners of the forest). The camp site should be cleared of grass, leaves, dead wood and sprayed with acaricidal agents (special preparations for ticks).

For hiking in the forest and mountains, you must wear closed shoes and trousers, jackets or long-sleeve T-shirts. Clothing should fit snugly to the body at the wrists and ankles. A hat or hood is required. There are also special anti-encephalitis suits that you can use. Exposed areas of the body should be treated with repellent ointments or sprays.

While hiking in the forest, you must periodically inspect your body and clothing. When a tick lands on a person, it begins to look for areas of thin, delicate skin and often attaches itself in the area of ​​the abdomen, groin, scalp, throat, armpits, so these parts of the body need to be examined more carefully - the tick is small, sometimes it is difficult to notice it the first time. Upon returning from the forest or park, clothes should be carefully inspected, and it is better not to enter the house in them, but to leave them outside in the sun for several hours.

Pet owners may be bitten by a tick carried into the home on their fur. Therefore, dogs and cats need to be treated with special protective sprays or drops, and carefully examined after walks.

Basic safety rules. How to avoid meeting them

The best tick repellent for people: how to choose

There are several groups of means to protect humans from ticks. They differ in the principle of influence.

Repellents – have a repellent effect, prevent insects from landing on the skin, including mosquitoes, mosquitoes, etc. It is possible to apply to human skin, treat (spray) clothing. As a rule, these are drugs based on the active substances (a.i.) diethyltoluamide (deta), or methylbenzamide, less often alphacypermethrin, cypermethrin. They belong to protection classes III and IV, the effect is due to an odor that irritates mites - it was previously assumed that parasites temporarily lose their sense of smell.

The duration of action of repellents depends on the concentration: for example, a product with 30% active ingredient content. retains the effect for up to 5-6 hours, about 100% - up to 12 hours or more.

Acaricidal drugs have a nerve-paralytic effect. They belong to the group of neurotoxins-peretroids. The drugs affect the central nervous system by blocking nerve impulses. When paralyzed ticks come into contact with treated areas of human clothing, they fall off and die.

Compared to repellents, they are more toxic. Contact of human skin with the products is highly undesirable.

Among the drugs used to protect against ticks, the active ingredient is an insecto-acaricide (active ingredient alphacypermethrin (alfametrin), cypermethrin, alpha-cypermethrin, permethrin).

According to reviews from tourists, foresters, fishermen and other people, the best anti-tick remedy for humans in terms of price-quality ratio is based on the insectoacaricides cypermethrin, alphacypermethrin.

These products for protecting people from ticks are used both for treating skin and clothing (the least toxic and less effective), as well as for treating exclusively clothing, shoes, equipment, items of uniform and equipment, mosquito nets, etc.

The optimal concentration for a pronounced effect of a product based on cypermethrin is about 0.02%.

Insecticidal-repellent agents have a combined effect: they repel ticks from human skin and have an acaricidal effect. They protect people not only from all types of ticks, but also from blood-sucking ones, united under the general name “midge complex” - many types of midges, biting midges, etc.

Products for humans that combine the two effects are based on two components: most often diethyltoluamide and alphamethrin.

Tick ​​vaccination

If you spend a lot of time outdoors, then using various creams and sprays is not what you need. It will cost a pretty penny and you will have to spray it all the time. In this case, it is better to get vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis. But before you do it, you need to find out what it is.

The vaccine protects you from the disease, but not from the bite. Those. you will also be attacked by parasites. The vaccination can be done at any age. The only exception is children under one year old. The vaccine is safe, but each body reacts individually, and side effects are possible.

There is little point in vaccinating those who visit nature once or twice during the summer. The vaccine is given to those who work in areas of high parasite activity, to children before going to camps, and to outdoor enthusiasts. 95% of vaccinated people do not get sick when bitten. But there are still 5% who can, despite the vaccine, contract the disease. But it will occur in an extremely mild form. And therein lies the danger. You can attribute a slight malaise to completely different diseases. Therefore, even if you are vaccinated after a tick bite, it is still worth getting your blood tested. The vaccination is effective even with multiple bites from infected individuals.

The vaccination is given in medical institutions. The vaccination is done not once, but three times at intervals. The first is done in the fall, the second a month or two later, and the third a year later. Afterwards they repeat it once every three years.

After the full course, you can donate blood for analysis to detect antibodies in the blood. This way you can be sure that the vaccination works. There are also contraindications, so you should consult your doctor before vaccination.

When should you take out tick insurance?

It is worth purchasing insurance coverage against tick bites in advance, before the start of the season.

If a tick bite occurs, insurance provides a free set of measures, such as prevention, laboratory tests, treatment, and the purchase of medications. Like other types of voluntary health insurance, this type of insurance helps to provide high-quality medical care in a clinic verified by the insurance company and protect not only your health, but also your budget.

Sources

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When ticks appear in spring - the beginning and end of the active season, how to protect yourself