Ticks in 2022: how to protect yourself

Every year, throughout almost the entire territory of Russia, immediately after the snow melts, a period of tick activation begins. Before the onset of cold weather, parasites burrow into a litter of fallen leaves and withering grasses, where they spend the entire winter hibernating. The exact moment of awakening is determined by climatic conditions. In order for an insect’s thermal sensors to bring it out of suspended animation, the temperature outside must be above +10 degrees for at least several days. In Moscow and the Moscow region, such conditions occur around April-May. The ideal environment for ticks to live and reproduce is created at a temperature of +18 to +20 degrees and a relative air humidity of around 80%. If the numbers in the weather forecast or on the thermometer are close to those indicated above, then we can confidently say that tick activity will increase several times. A slight decline in the vital activity of blood-sucking pests is observed from mid-June to mid-August due to too hot and dry weather, but this does not completely exclude the possibility of a bite, so you must still take safety measures when going to the country house or to the forest for a walk. The second stage of tick activity occurs in September-October, when temperature and humidity values again approach the most comfortable levels. After several days of persistent frost, the tick season can be considered officially closed. Knowing about these simple features of the life cycle and activity of parasites, you can easily make your own forecasts for several days or weeks in advance, simply by observing what is happening outside the window.

However, the weather is quite unpredictable. Data can change at lightning speed and blaming meteorologists for incompetence makes no sense. It is impossible to predict its whims even with the most modern technology. The summer of 2022 was abnormally cold. In May and June in Moscow, people wore demi-season coats, and government authorities turned on the heating several times. This climatic situation naturally affected the life activity of ticks. According to Rospotrebnadzor, in 2022, 13,438 people sought help after tick bites, in 2016 – 15,903 people. The difference of almost 2.5 thousand people may well be explained by weather conditions unfavorable for parasites. How ticks will behave in 2022 depends on the specifics of the season. For the tick body to respond to changes in the atmosphere, 3-4 days of stable conditions are enough.

Habitats

At home, ticks most often settle in beds.
The main reason is the availability of food. Bed pests feed on particles of exfoliated skin and sweat. Optimal living conditions are warmth, humidity, and the absence of bright sunlight. In a person’s bed, all these conditions are met. Mattress mites settle in furniture, soft toys, interior items, and remain on any surface where a large layer of dust accumulates. It's safe to say that furniture mites are everywhere, always and everywhere. The ideal place is an unmade bed, an old mattress, feather pillows, unwashed bedding with particles of dandruff, skin, and sweat.

Bed or dust mites

Tick season

The peak of tick activity occurs in May-June, when the weather in the Moscow region and the capital remains warm, but not hot. Then there is a decrease in tick activity by month by mid-summer, and an increase in the number of bitten ticks begins again in late August - early September. The tick season coincides with the period of dacha work, so it is summer residents and gardeners who are at risk.

To reduce the risk of being bitten at the dacha, sanitary and epidemiological services offer services for treating the area from ticks in the Moscow region. The cost of this procedure depends on the area of the land plot and ranges from 1,500 to 3,000 rubles. In addition to protecting the area from bloodsuckers, you need to protect yourself. Every person should inspect his body after being in the garden or garden for the presence of crawling or already attached arthropods. When working on the site, it is recommended to treat skin or clothing with special tick-repellent agents.

Ticks in the Moscow region

Ticks in Moscow in 2022 - 2022 can also be found in any park area. The prevalence of this parasite is difficult to control, so you should avoid walking on lawns, among bushes, away from paved paths. The administrative website of the capital indicates which parks have been treated against ticks in Moscow. But this does not mean that there is 100% confidence that these places do not pose any danger.

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.

Methods of attack

For some reason, there is a widespread belief that ticks need to be expected from somewhere above in the trees. Perhaps this can also happen, but only as an exception to the general rule. Scientists say that these insects live in grass and bushes, and not in trees. Those. In the fall, ticks can easily get on your clothes not from above, but from below, and then slowly crawl upward, looking for your most vulnerable spot.

Most ticks are found near rivers and streams, because... These blood-sucking mosquitoes, like their colleagues - mosquitoes, are very moisture-loving. Another favorite location for ticks is in the grass near forest paths and paths. They have a truly devilish sense of smell, and they can detect the smell of people and animals from 10-15 meters away. The tick is able to move in the air along with gusts of wind, i.e. it costs him nothing to cover this distance almost instantly.

The tick attacks in a jump. Its light body is easily carried by the wind, so it is not difficult for it to jump on you and look for a place to drink blood. As soon as they get on the skin, the parasite climbs to those places where it is easier and easier to bite. Usually these are the chest, neck, armpits, knees and groins.

Also, a tick may not jump, but fall on you from a tree, get caught on clothes in tall grass, or jump off animals. Then everything happens according to the scheme described above.

The parasite digs into the neck, chest, armpits and groins

Precautionary measures

To avoid ticks, it is important to protect yourself in advance. Avoid untreated areas of forests and parks; it is advisable not to visit places with tall vegetation during the period of activity.
If you happen to end up in such a place, you need to cover all exposed areas of your body with clothing as much as possible, and be sure to wear a hat. The picture shows the most favorite places where ticks bite.
You can also use protection, such as repellents, which are sold in any supermarket.
When you arrive home, be sure to check yourself and your loved ones for ticks. Clothes should be washed in hot water, because the larval forms are invisible to the eye and can reach you already at home.
If a tick has embedded itself, take the measures listed in the previous subheading as soon as possible. In no case should you ignore the symptoms and blame everything on the flu, because the first signs of encephalitis at the initial stage are not much different from it, but the consequences are many times worse!

Tick season

It is a known fact that ticks wake up in the spring and disappear in the fall. But it is impossible to give exact dates for the appearance and disappearance of parasites, since they depend on weather conditions and can shift every year. However, tick activity is not always the same, and if you average it out by month, it will look like this:

March – April – low;
May – June – high (parasites pose the greatest danger);
July – August – average;
September – October – low.

The activity of bloodsucking also varies depending on the time of day. In the morning from 5 to 9 o'clock, and in the evening from 19 to 22 they are most energetic.

When do they appear?

The tick season begins in early spring, when the snow cover melts, the first flowers bloom, and the buds on the trees are just beginning to swell. Parasites that have overwintered in shelters wake up when the air temperature rises to +1… +3⁰С. But at this time, ticks pose virtually no danger, since they are just recovering from a long winter diapause; they become active when the air warms up to +10⁰C.

From the moment ticks appear until the time of their maximum activity, 3 to 5 weeks pass. During this time, the young generation of larvae grows up, which, like adults, can attack animals and people.

In different regions, ticks appear at different times. In the southern regions this can happen as early as March, and in the northern regions in mid- and even late April.

When is the danger especially great?

Throughout the entire period of tick activity, two peaks can be noted when they pose the greatest danger. Ticks are most dangerous in May and June, when both overwintered and young females go hunting to drink blood to reproduce. In addition, it is at this time that most regions usually experience the most comfortable weather for parasites. The temperature reaches +20…+25⁰С, and the forests are quite humid. It is under such conditions that arachnid bloodsuckers reproduce most actively.

The peak of tick activity subsides by the beginning of July. This is due to several factors:

old females die;
the air temperature is set above the level comfortable for ticks, the humidity decreases;
the number of arthropods is declining due to natural enemies - birds and animals - eating them.

By the end of summer, the second generation of young ticks appears. Parasite activity is increasing again, but no longer reaches May and June levels. However, to the question whether a tick bite is dangerous in the fall, the answer will be definitely positive. The likelihood of contracting an infectious disease does not depend on when the parasite attaches itself.

Are ticks dangerous in the fall?

At the beginning of autumn, the parasites remain active. Autumn ticks are no less dangerous than spring or summer ticks. They also bite and can be carriers of infection.

In the bark of a tree

Gradually, there are fewer and fewer ticks in the forest. Tick season ends when cold weather sets in and air temperatures approach freezing. Then the arachnids look for a secluded refuge (under the bark of trees, in the ground, in fallen leaves) and hibernate.

Anyone who wants to know until what time ticks are dangerous, and when you can walk in the forest without fear, must understand that a tick bite, regardless of the time of day or year, carries a risk of infection. It can hardly be said that ticks are dangerous in September, and in October an encounter with them is guaranteed not to pose a threat.

It is impossible to say exactly when ticks disappear. This largely depends on the weather in a particular area, as well as climatic conditions. In the southern regions, you can be attacked by ticks not only in October, but also in November.

What danger do they pose to humans?

Regardless of when exactly the tick attacks, in September or May, there is always the possibility of infection with dangerous diseases. These individuals are carriers of diseases such as encephalitis, borreliosis, fever, typhus and others. Of course, not all individuals are infected and carry the virus, but absolutely all can cause a number of other problems.

An insect bite can cause inflammation, irritation, and allergic reactions. There is always a risk of germs and bacteria getting into the wound, which will cause the wound to fester.

Also, if a blood-sucking substance is found on the body, you need to go to the hospital so that the doctor can remove it correctly. When removing an attached parasite yourself, there is always a risk of making mistakes. Fragments of insects may remain in the wound, infection may occur, etc.

Life activity in winter cold

If the temperature drops below 0 degrees, ticks become inactive, namely, they hibernate. They sleep until weather conditions favorable to them arrive.

With light snowfall and severe frosts, conditions become destructive for parasites - it is worth noting that this leads to the death of 30 percent of larvae, nymphs, as well as the death of 20 percent of mature adults. We cannot ignore the fact that it is easier for hungry individuals to survive the cold than for those who have recently drunk blood.

You can be subjected to a tick bite in winter only when, after the parasites first get inside the living space, they gradually warm up and begin to actively look for something to feed on. The risk of a person bringing an individual from a forest/park/nature (places where parasites hibernate) in winter is eliminated.

They can get inside the house with a stick, hay, or leaves. But cases were observed during an abnormally warm winter (the temperature did not fall below 8 degrees Celsius) when ticks attacked people.

The level of activity of the parasite completely depends on the temperature; the optimal option for their comfortable development is 18 degrees or more. At low temperatures they become sluggish and passive. If you answer the question at what temperature individuals die, then it is -15 degrees and below.

Little snow in the winter and lack of necessary shelter leads to the fact that individuals die. They can feel great at a temperature of 0 degrees, but you should not expect activity from them, since their metabolic functions are reduced to a minimum.

Treatment of tick-borne encephalitis

Treatment of people who have become infected with tick-borne encephalitis occurs according to general principles, regardless of the presence of vaccination or the use of specific drugs that contain antibacterial antibodies.

During acute periods of the disease, even if it is mild, it is necessary for the patient to remain in bed until all symptoms of intoxication have passed. Almost complete immobilization and non-active transportation leads to minimal pain and, accordingly, improves recovery prognosis. It is also important to remember the need for a balanced diet for the sick person. The diet can be prescribed if dysfunction is detected in the stomach, intestines and liver.

In addition, many patients with encephalitis experience an imbalance in the vitamin balance and need to consume vitamins B and C. Therefore, at least three hundred milligrams of ascorbic acid should be administered daily, which will stimulate the functions of the adrenal glands and improve liver function.

When ticks wake up

In Russia, ticks appear in early spring at an average temperature of +3 °C. As soon as the snow begins to melt, people and animals run the risk of becoming victims of parasites. And some arachnids may not wait until the snow cover finally melts. After a long diapause, bloodsuckers are very hungry and aggressive.

Ticks in the Russian Federation begin to show activity at temperatures above +3°C.

Different regions of the country have their own climatic characteristics, so the duration of diapauses and periods of activity of ticks living there may differ. These arachnids are able to adapt to climate and environmental conditions, so the same types of ticks in different places can have completely different behavioral characteristics.

In Moscow and the Moscow region, ticks begin to appear in April and attack until mid-June, and their peak activity occurs in the first weeks of May. In St. Petersburg, located to the north, parasites awaken in early May and most of their attacks occur in the first weeks of summer. And in the south of the country, dangerous bloodsuckers appear in early spring.

It is also useful to read: When does the tick season begin and end?

On warm spring days, along with the appearance of ticks, the risk of contracting infections carried by these parasites sharply increases. The Rospotrebnadzor service annually registers cases of tick-borne encephalitis and publishes lists of areas endemic for this disease. Traditionally, the first places in them are occupied by the Altai, Perm and Krasnodar territories, the Republic of Buryatia, Tyumen, Tomsk, Novosibirsk and Sverdlovsk regions. And in Murmansk, the Kamchatka Territory and the Nenets Autonomous Okrug, the likelihood of encountering an encephalitis tick is minimal.

Ticks lie in wait for their victims on the tips of grass, branches of bushes, leaf litter and burrows.

It is important for them to find a place where there is a high probability of contact with an animal or person. It also needs to be warm and humid.

Therefore, they do not climb trees - it is physically difficult for them to climb so high, the air there is drier and they cannot reach their prey from there, and these arachnids cannot jump.

Bloodsuckers live in all types of forests, fields and vegetable gardens. In the city, in addition to parks and squares, ticks can be found in overgrown vacant lots and lawns. They are also attracted to the scent of animals in pastures and watering trails.

Having found a place convenient for hunting, they freeze with a pair of front legs extended forward, on which Haller’s sensitive organs are located, capturing odors, exhaled carbon dioxide and thermal radiation coming from the prey.

The front legs of a tick stretched forward indicate its readiness to attack.

When a person or animal, passing by, touches a blade of grass on which a tick is sitting, it instantly clings to the fur, feathers or clothing of its prey and begins searching for a convenient place to bite. The entire lower part of the body and legs of the parasite are covered with spines, bristles and hooks, which help to hold tightly to the host and prevent the bloodsucker from being shaken off.

The feeding process can last up to 10 days, and the parasite itself increases in size several times. To bite, the tick chooses secluded places where it is difficult to notice. And thanks to the special structure of the oral apparatus, the bloodsucker is attached to the host’s body very firmly.

The difference between a hungry and a fed tick can be seen in the following photo:

Infection with dangerous diseases

The attack of females and males is different. Thus, a female can remain on the victim for up to 10 days and be saturated with blood all this time. She needs more food so that she can lay offspring.

Males attached to the body are more difficult to detect, since they quickly bite, gorge themselves and fall off on their own. When a tick falls on a person, it can crawl over the body for 2 hours to find a suitable place to bite. They look for areas where the skin is most delicate and where blood vessels are located closely.

They often choose places on the neck, behind the ears, under the arms, under the chest, near the shoulder blades, and the groin area, but they can also be found in other areas. The bite itself occurs as follows: the individual pierces the skin, while releasing an anesthetic enzyme, which is why they cannot be detected at this stage.

Next, they insert a proboscis into the wound and firmly attach themselves to the blood vessel. The infection virus is contained in saliva and products of the gastrointestinal tract; infection can occur immediately after a parasite bite.

Where are encephalitis ticks found?

It is impossible to distinguish an encephalitis tick from a regular tick by appearance. To find out whether there is a virus in his blood, he is sent to a laboratory for examination. The spreaders of the infection are ixodid ticks, especially European forest and taiga ticks. In a hungry state, the size of the arachnid’s body does not exceed 3 mm; as it feeds, the abdomen increases in size.

In the wild, the parasite lives in grass and on the lower branches of bushes. Prefers bright clearings, but without direct sunlight. Natural habitat:

spruce, birch, deciduous, mixed forest;
City Park;
unkempt vegetation near the house;
meadows;
pastures.

The parasite does not tolerate coniferous forests, low grass - less than 7 cm in height, asphalt, compacted roads.

We suggest you read: Lice: how to get rid of nits at home and remove nits, is it possible to remove lice forever?

It feeds on blood and waits for prey on the grass and lower branches of bushes - up to 1.5 m. It can remain in a hungry state for several months. At the sight of a potential victim, it becomes more active - it falls from the branches onto the animal’s back, clings to a person’s clothing, and crawls out of the grass.

Encephalitis ticks

The habitat of ixodid ticks covers the continents. They live almost all over the world, in all climatic zones. They quickly adapt to the most extreme conditions and are found even beyond the Arctic Circle. The greatest number is in tropical and subtropical forests with tall grass and high humidity.

Encephalitis ticks

Prevention and protective measures

To reduce the risk of Muscovites and residents of the Moscow region being bitten by a tick, parks in Moscow are being treated for ticks in 2019. Specialists from sanitary and epidemiological stations have been sent to public gardens and parks to destroy “unwanted guests” using special chemicals.

On a note!
Tick extermination in Moscow is carried out from March to May, when they are just emerging from winter hibernation.

To protect yourself from the possibility of contracting encephalitis, you can use a special vaccine. This vaccination must be given before ticks appear in the Moscow region. The vaccine is given in two stages: the first injection is administered 2-3 months before ticks begin to bite - in November or December. Then the second vaccination is prescribed after 1-2 months. And only after it, after two weeks, immunity begins to act. The third injection is given after 12 months, then the vaccination is repeated every three years. Vaccination against tick-borne encephalitis in Moscow is carried out in budgetary, commercial clinics.

The situation with ticks infected with the equally destructive infection borreliosis is worse - there is no vaccine against the infection. In case of infection, treatment with antibiotics is carried out. To prevent bloodsuckers from biting a person, you need to dress appropriately for a walk in the forest or park:

choose closed clothes with long sleeves;
tucking pants into socks, a jacket or shirt into pants;
gather long hair in a ponytail or braid and put on a headdress;
wear plain, light-colored clothing, which makes it easier to catch ticks.

Special acaricidal agents in the form of aerosols that repel bloodsuckers will also help. It should be remembered that after each visit to nature it is necessary to carefully examine the body for the presence of attached parasites.

Why is encephalitis dangerous?

Tick-borne encephalitis is an acute severe neuroviral seasonal infection characterized by fever, intoxication, central nervous system damage with the development of paresis and paralysis.

The consequences of a bite can be disastrous.

Mortality is:

For the European subtype – 1-2%.
For the Far Eastern subtype – 20-25%.

Death occurs within 5-7 days after the onset of neurological symptoms.

Long-term outcomes in focal forms:

Complete recovery – 4%.
Mild residual effects with a slight decrease in quality of life, the presence of complaints, without pronounced paresis and other focal pathology - 30%.
In other cases - significant limitation of life activity or disability.

In conclusion, we note that there is practically no specialized treatment for tick-borne encephalitis. The basis of care for those infected is supportive therapy; the outcome is difficult to predict, so it is better to prevent the disease.

A set of measures to prevent tick-borne encephalitis includes:

When going outdoors in spring, summer or autumn, you need to choose clothes that cover your body as much as possible. It is optimal to tuck the trousers into boots, high boots or socks. It’s good if the jacket has sleeves with elastic bands and a collar that protects the neck. You should also not neglect your hat.
Use chemical anti-tick agents of a repellent, poisonous or mixed type, which are applied to clothing. The manufacturer indicates the effective action time of a particular product on the packaging.
Upon returning, thoroughly inspect the body for ticks and shake out forest clothing (preferably outside the house). This recommendation is based on the peculiarity of blood-sucking parasites not to attack immediately, but to carefully select the site of absorption. Therefore, timely action can prevent a bite or detect it at an early stage, when the tick is easier to remove.
As a specific prevention in the Russian Federation, vaccination (before a bite) and emergency immunoprophylaxis (after a bite) are used. In EU countries, specific immunoglobulin is not used, only vaccines, the effect of which is more effective and predictable.

In most cases, after a bite, a person is not in danger, but precautions will not hurt. Tick-borne encephalitis is a severe but manageable infection

Compliance with preventive measures minimizes the likelihood of disease.

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How to remove a stuck tick

If you have the opportunity to go to a medical facility, you should definitely do so. But if this is not possible, you can carry out the procedure yourself. To do this, you can use tweezers, thread, or special devices that can be purchased at the pharmacy.

Remember that the main thing is to correctly capture the parasite body. It is necessary to fix the parasite as close to the skin as possible in order to hold not only the abdomen, but also the head. Next, you should unscrew the parasite and pull it up a little. You should not make sudden movements, tear it out of the wound, or apply too much pressure; all this can lead to rupture of the parasite and increase the likelihood of infection.

There are situations when the removal is carried out incorrectly and the head or other fragments of an insect remain in the wound; they must be removed, otherwise inflammation and rotting of the wound will begin. To do this, a needle is used; it must be picked up with the remaining particle. If it is deep in the wound, it is necessary to go to the hospital.

The insect that was managed to be removed from the wound must be placed in a jar and submitted for analysis to a laboratory, where research will be carried out and the results will show whether the tick is infected. This will allow you to use the correct treatment in the early stages and prevent complications.

Reminder about ticks

It contains information about the external signs of parasites, which will allow you to independently recognize the arachnid that attacks a person. In addition, you can find other information here:

when infected with dangerous infections, the first symptoms appear after the end of the period: from 2 weeks to 2 months;
it is impossible to determine from external signs whether a tick is a carrier of infections;
you need to avoid places with dense vegetation, undergrowth, grass, it is better to move along paths;

parasites are less active in the heat when it rains;
clothes should be light shades;
Before going outside, clothes are treated with repellents - a ring protection is created;
Things are inspected every half hour.

Download the leaflet about ticks

To prepare for a trip to a place where the level of endemic danger is high, or for a trip to the forest, it is recommended to download a leaflet containing the most important information about ticks.

TICK SAFETY ALERTDownload

Checking for ticks in the forest Read more:

How ticks reproduce - 4 stages of development, how many and where they lay eggs, and how the transformation from egg to adult (imago) occurs

Beware of black (brown) tick. How to recognize a parasite

Where does it live and whose blood does it feed on?

Red ticks - photo, description, where they live and whether they cause harm. Insect control methods

Argasid ticks (Argasidae) – 17 photos, what bites look like, danger to humans, harm to livestock and how to get rid of it once and for all

Types of forest ticks - 10 photos, description, habitat. How dangerous and what you need to know when encountering a parasite

Dangerous areas on the map of the Moscow region

In Moscow and the Moscow region, statistics are kept every year on the number of registered tick bites and the presence of dangerous viruses in their DNA. According to this information received in September last year, no cases of tick-borne encephalitis were recorded in Moscow and the Moscow region. Based on data obtained over past summer seasons, a list of dangerous areas on the map for ticks in the Moscow region and Moscow in 2022 was compiled:

the first places were taken by the districts of Ramensky, Serpukhovsky, Kolomensky - in the territory of each of them more than 800 cases of attacks by arachnid parasites were registered;
in Lyubertsy, Naro-Fominsk, Dmitrov and Noginsk regions, the number of bite cases exceeds 500;
In the Chekhovsky, Pushkinsky districts, and in Orekhovo-Zuevo, tick bites in 2022 are expected in an amount not exceeding 300 cases, as was the case in 2022.

On a note!
According to data for the last summer season, among the 15,857 registered reports of victims, about 4 thousand of them were bitten children. 5958 parasites were delivered for the study. The presence of borreliosis pathogens was confirmed in 15% of cases, 3.5% of ticks were infected with anaplasmosis bacteria, and ehrlichiosis pathogens were found in only 0.3% of the parasites studied.

The number of ticks in the Moscow region in 2022 depends on several factors. In the case of very hot and early summers, the parasites should be less active. They also do not like very rainy weather, which often occurs during the summer months in the metropolitan area.

The map for encephalitis ticks in the Moscow region in 2022 was created based on data for previous summer seasons. Despite the absence of recorded cases of encephalitis infection, there is a likelihood of the presence of encephalitic parasites in the Dmitrovsky, Taldomsky districts, and Dubna. Epidemiologists studying the question of whether there are encephalitis ticks in Moscow have been keeping statistics for the last few years. So far, not a single case of infection with a dangerous infection has been recorded.

Dangerous areas for ticks on the map of the Moscow region

During the tick period, the safest areas of the Moscow region in terms of the number of calls from victims are considered to be the eastern and southern ones:

Odintsovo;
Mozhaisk district;
Shakhovsky district;
Kashira district;
Troitsk and others.

It is impossible to say for sure whether there are encephalitis ticks in the Moscow region. The virus can be brought from other northern neighboring regions: Yaroslavl, Tver, Ivanovo. Bloodsuckers are able to travel distances through transport or while on the human body.

Where do they live in winter?

Basically, ticks live in forests and parks in winter, but not always. As soon as the air temperature becomes low, they begin to look for the nearest suitable shelter to sleep. If an animal brings a tick into the house in late autumn, it will overwinter there. There are several other sources where ticks can appear in your home in winter. If you run a subsistence farm and stock up on hay or straw for animals for the winter, ticks also live very comfortably in winter in such deposits. Sometimes ticks overwinter in the bark of trees, which is why you can bring a tick into your house on the Christmas tree or along with firewood. True, these parasites rarely overwinter in coniferous forests, because the lack of leaf cover reduces their chances of survival in a snowless winter.

What diseases do they carry?

The tick can be the host of many pathogens. But the most famous of them are the tick-borne encephalitis virus and the causative agent of Lyme disease , or, as it is otherwise called, borreliosis . The fundamental difference between them is that the virus is not affected by antibiotics. Vaccination can be done against encephalitis ticks . But this is a last resort. Usually it is done only to forest workers and once every five years to residents of areas where ticks are common.

There is so much talk about tick-borne encephalitis because it can be very dangerous - causing severe illness with meningitis and encephalitis. But in reality it is not as common as borreliosis. In total, tens of thousands of people turn to specialists for tick bites per season. Of these, about a thousand suffer from borreliosis, and less than a hundred from encephalitis.

Diapauses in the life of ticks

In the life of ticks there are periods of inactive existence, which are called diapauses. They help these arachnids survive adverse weather conditions and synchronize their life cycle with changes in the environment.

Only a humid tropical climate is optimal for the continuous development of ixodids. In subtropical climates, summer heat and dryness, as well as winter cold, can slow down the life cycle of ticks, but in temperate climates this becomes a pattern. Thus, in mid-latitudes, each stage of development of these arachnids requires at least a year, and in cold regions, the life cycle of a tick can last 5-6 years.

Tick eggs mature in approximately 30-40 days. The hatched larvae seek out birds and rodents for food, but are often forced to spend the winter hungry. After feeding, the larva molts and turns into a nymph, which looks like an adult tick, but is smaller in size. The nymph feeds on larger warm-blooded animals than the larva. She, too, can go away hungry for the winter.

Having had enough, the nymph undergoes a complex process of transformation into an imago. The transformation of the body into an adult can take considerable time and depends on environmental conditions. Without food, the parasite at all stages of development can live for a very long time, and nutrition starts the process of its transformation into a new stage or the formation and laying of eggs. Life cycle of a tick.

There are two types of diapause in ticks: morphogenetic and behavioral. Let's take a closer look at them.

The period of morphogenetic diapause of an arachnid is associated with a slowdown in its development. This manifests itself in a delay in the maturation of eggs; engorged larvae and nymphs in this state take longer to prepare for molting, and the reproductive cells of females do not mature. Thanks to this process, the tick's life cycle is consistent with the changing seasons.

Behavioral diapause manifests itself in the absence of aggressiveness in a hungry arachnid, that is, the tick stops looking for victims and attacking them. This behavior is associated with hot weather or preparation for hibernation - engorged individuals tolerate cold worse. Behavioral diapause allows ticks to spend more than a year in a hungry state.

Photoperiod, that is, the ratio of the length of light and dark time of day, plays an important role in synchronizing the development cycles of these parasites with seasonal climatic rhythms. Its change can cause or stop diapause - this process is called the photoperiodic reaction.

The length of daylight that triggers the photoperiodic response in some tick species may vary depending on climate. For example, in the dog tick (Ixodes ricinus), living in Moldova, diapause occurs during daylight hours at 15-16 hours, and in the same species living in the Leningrad region - at 17-18 hours.

In a state of diapause, metabolic processes in ticks proceed very slowly, and due to the fact that energy is not supplied from the outside, the internal resources of the body are consumed. At the same time, its resistance to such environmental parameters as high or low temperature and low humidity increases.

What danger comes from ticks?

Blood-sucking insects pose a direct threat to human health. Ticks are carriers of dangerous contagious infections. The penetration of an arthropod under the skin is invisible to humans. The bite does not cause pain or discomfort. This is due to the fact that the parasite’s saliva contains anesthetic substances. Therefore, a person may not always notice bite marks or the tick itself under the skin.

An infestation of ticks increases the risk of bites several times. What diseases are transmitted by arthropods:

Epidemic encephalitis is the most dangerous, acute disease accompanied by inflammation of the brain and spinal cord;
typhus - a sharp lesion of the central nervous system, heart muscle, the appearance of specific rashes on the body, the condition is accompanied by a persistent high temperature;
Lyme disease (borreliosis) - an inflammatory-allergic reaction with severe headache, migraine, hot flashes, and the appearance of migratory erythema on the skin (bright red spots of different diameters);
tularemia – an extreme degree of intoxication of the body with impaired cognitive activity, inflammation of large lymph nodes;
hemorrhagic fever is an acute viral infection that damages arteries and veins, causing blood clots to form.

Among pets, ticks are more often found in dogs, since animals spend active walks outside every day. The bite of bloodsucking animals provokes such dangerous conditions in the animal’s body as partial or complete paralysis of the nervous system, coagulation of red blood cells, as a result of which the animal dies from oxygen deficiency. A dog’s reaction to a bite can be acute, when damage to the body develops rapidly, within 1-3 days. Also, viruses transmitted from ticks can be in a passive state. In such cases, the disease develops slowly, imperceptibly, gradually killing the pet’s body.

Symptoms of a tick bite

If there is an invasion of ticks and non-compliance with the rules of protection, the likelihood of a bite increases. The length of the incubation period after infection depends on the type of arthropod. Most often, the first signs of infection are skin rashes that appear within 24 hours. The presence of blood sucking inside the body, disruption of the functionality of internal organs may not manifest itself for a long time. Several months pass before the first symptoms appear.

Signs of a tick bite:

severe or mild itching of the skin, redness at the site of the bite;
swelling of the eyelids, discharge of serous fluid from the eyes;
the presence of characteristic passages on the skin;
increase in body temperature to subfebrile values;
muscle and joint pain, body aches;
over time, peeling of the scalp, eyebrows, eyelash loss;
with infection of the urinary and reproductive system ─ itching, pain when urinating, vaginal discharge in women, lumbar pain, ulcers on the penis of men.

With tick-borne acariasis, an anaphylactic reaction may suddenly develop. Shortness of breath appears, the victim experiences a lack of air, pathological mucus accumulates in the respiratory tract, and the lumen of the bronchi narrows due to rapidly increasing swelling. Fever, suffocating cough, and chest pain develop. The condition is life-threatening.

Methods of safety and control of tick bites

Considering that ticks are active at any time of the day, you must always use means of protection against them, as well as select the most suitable control methods. Such measures are taken before the parasites go into hibernation - throughout the entire warm period of the year.

Folk remedies

The most common option is essential oil. Use a concentrated substance and apply it pointwise to things. Another solution is prepared: a few drops of essential oil are mixed with water. It is used to treat clothes before going outside. Another recipe:

Mix the ingredients: 2 glasses of vinegar, 1 glass of water, essential oils (citrus and eucalyptus) - 10 drops each.
The solution is poured into a spray bottle.
Clothes are processed before going outside.

Essential oil with water against ticks

Sprays, repellents, ointments

If you happen to live where there is a high level of endemic danger, it is recommended to use more effective means:

Moskill – acaricidal drug (spray);
Gardex - represented by a line of products for people of different age categories, produced (spray);
Tornado anti-mite (spray);

Pretix (chalk);
Off Extreme (aerosol);
Barrier (cream);
Lesovik (cream).

The concentration of the active component is low, which does not allow the destruction of pests. Sprays and aerosols often exhibit acaricidal properties - they kill ticks upon direct contact with the treated areas

Moreover, it is important to re-treat in time, when several hours have passed since the substance was sprayed

Effective remedies for taiga ticks

Smoke bombs, solutions

There are preparations intended for irrigating crops to kill parasites. This is done if the grass is mown, but parasites still appear. Additionally, such drugs help destroy other pests (mosquitoes, midges). They are sprayed outdoors and do not harm crops, people or animals. Examples of smoke bombs: Quiet Evening, City, Samuro.

Smoke bomb against parasites

Clothing against ticks

To avoid having to leave the forest ahead of time (for example, if the repellent has worn out), you can prepare a special suit in advance. Such clothing completely protects the entire body and even the head thanks to the presence of a hood and mosquito net. There are cuffs and muffs on the sleeves and trousers. The lower part of the jacket is tucked into the pants. The hem of the trousers should also be hidden in the shoes. The material is quite smooth, which does not allow the parasite to climb up to its favorite areas of the skin.

Protective suits against ticks

Vaccination. When is the best time to get vaccinated against ticks?

This measure will help avoid the development of complications due to encephalitis infection. In addition, vaccination helps reduce the risk of infection. Statistics show that vaccinations are effective in 95% of tick attacks. In addition, this measure helps prevent the development of other dangerous diseases transmitted by ticks.

It is recommended to get vaccinated no later than 1 month before going out into nature or traveling to regions with a high risk of endemic danger. This assumes the need to undergo two stages of vaccination with a break of 2 weeks to 7 months between them.

Video: Vaccination video

If you have additional questions about the administration of a drug containing inactivated tick-borne encephalitis virus, you can watch the video.

Incubation period of the disease

The incubation period from the moment of infection to the onset of symptoms of this disease occurs from ten days to two weeks. Moreover, the incubation period may be longer if a person has been vaccinated against encephalitis, which is given in childhood.

There are two stages of this infection:

fulminant, when initial symptoms occur within the first twenty-four hours. In the absence of prompt medical care, people quickly fall into a coma and may die due to paralysis of the central nervous system;
protracted, when the incubation period can last a month, and sometimes even exceed thirty calendar days.

The first symptoms of the disease, often a week after relaxing in nature, are headache, nausea, vomiting and fever, which reaches forty degrees. The person also feels weak. After the first symptoms, paralysis, pain in the nerve endings, convulsions and loss of consciousness begin to appear.

More about the parasite

One of the human companions, the linen or bed mite, lives for several hundred years and is distributed in all parts of the world. He feels comfortable with a person. It feeds on dead skin cells, dandruff, lost hair, hides in the folds of dirty bed linen, in pillows, blankets, mattresses and feels great in a dusty room that has not been cleaned for a long time.

Note! A person does not notice the presence of a bed mite if he has good immunity and does not know what an allergic reaction is. Sensitive people have it more difficult

Their skin and respiratory organs respond to pest bites with endless runny nose, coughing, sneezing, and skin irritations in the form of a small red rash

Sensitive people have it more difficult. Their skin and respiratory organs respond to pest bites with endless runny nose, coughing, sneezing, and skin irritations in the form of a small red rash.

It is possible to examine a bed mite (it is a type of saprophyte) only with the help of a microscope, it is so small.

A tick (as we see it in photographs) looks like this: