Tick ​​season: how to protect yourself, what to look out for, as well as myths and truth about blood-sucking ticks

Habitats of dangerous neighbors

Ticks belong to the oldest group of arthropods on Earth.
The world's fauna numbers more than forty thousand species. Some feed mainly on plant debris, while others have adapted to drink blood. Parasites carry pathogens of a wide variety of diseases. Ticks are quite moisture-loving, so their main habitats are well-moistened areas. Such places can be shaded deciduous or mixed forests, dense thickets of grass, forest ravines, and willow thickets. The person himself also provokes the accumulation of bloodsuckers. By leaving uncleaned branches and leaves, people thereby create a favorable microclimate for dangerous insects to live in.

Encephalitis tick in nature

There is a myth in everyday life that ticks fall from tree branches. However, this is not true. Insects wait for their victims on overgrown grass along paths along which people walk, on stumps and low-growing plants.

Pine forests are mostly dry and grass does not grow, so there are practically no ticks there. They are also not found on mowed lawns. In order not to breed parasites, it is necessary to destroy fallen leaves and plant debris.

Recently, the number of victims among city residents has increased. This suggests that ticks do not necessarily need the forest to survive. They can be found in parks, squares, and playgrounds. They need vegetation cover in the form of tall grass, which keeps moisture close to the ground.

Ticks begin to show their activity at temperatures above 5 degrees Celsius. The most dangerous period occurs on sunny days in May, June and August and September. When the temperature drops to 5 degrees below zero, the parasites overwinter in a daze in piles of leaves. Accordingly, at this time the person is not in danger of being bitten.

What are ticks afraid of?

Pest activity is observed in the first month of spring. The earth is only warming up to 10 degrees, they can be seen in summer cottages. Often in dachas you can find ixodid ticks, which act as carriers of encephalitis, Lyme disease and other diseases.

Important! A tick bite is sometimes not accompanied by pain, but the dangerous virus enters the bloodstream. Only studying the pest under clinical conditions will make it possible to confidently declare its danger to health.

What should I do if bitten by a tick

Infectious disease experts advise that after a tick is discovered, do not panic and remove it as soon as possible. The likelihood of contracting an infection carried by a tick is low if the tick has been in the body for less than a day. If 2 to 3 days have passed, the likelihood of getting sick increases. Do not fill the tick body with gasoline or oil. Do not squeeze or puncture the tick to prevent the release of biological fluids that may contain infections and parasites.

What types of mites are there?

Not all members of the tick group are dangerous to people and pets. But still, scientists count 25 species of ticks that you need to watch out for. Indeed, in addition to causing obvious harm, ticks carry various infectious and parasitic (infections with worms and similar organisms) diseases.

How to protect yourself from ticks in nature. The mites that humans have to deal with can be both blood-sucking parasites and saprophagous mites, which do not live on a living creature, but live in the soil and feed on plant sap. Varieties of saprophages have adapted to certain food products - these are cheese, granary, and flour mites. Many mites live in places where dust accumulates in residential buildings along with people. These are dust or bed mites, the nutritional base of which is dead cells of the human epidermis, the pile of woolen blankets, carpets, blankets, and furniture upholstery.

How to escape from ticks? Detailed instructions on what to do

With the beginning of the season of active outdoor recreation, the Internet is full of various tips on how to deal with ticks, of which there are more and more in Belarus every year. The fear of being bitten and the invention of various “folk” methods have a basis: ticks are carriers of infectious diseases. In our territory, these are Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis, which can lead to serious consequences. The Belarusian green portal has figured out in detail how to protect yourself by minimizing the risk of being bitten, and if bitten, becoming infected.

05.15.2015 Gramadstva Aўtar: Veronica Chigir Photo: shadylady.com.ua, sitesovety.ru, entomologs.ru

For starters, a sedative: in Belarus the percentage of infected ticks is quite low. There are no focal outbreaks of infections in our country, as happens, for example, in the Siberian forests of Russia. Last year in the Minsk region, 4 people fell ill with tick-borne encephalitis and 17 with Lyme disease, which is 40% lower than the year before. Today in the Minsk region there are fewer registered “bitten” people: 169 people compared to 333 for the same period of the previous year. These figures were reported to the correspondent of the Belarusian Green Portal at the Minsk Regional Center for Epidemiology, Hygiene and Public Health.

A small number of ticks are also recorded within the capital. “This year, the treatment of parks and squares in Minsk with disinfectants is not carried out, since this is not practical, only single individuals of ticks are registered. The main thing is that the area is cleaned and the grass is mowed - this is the most effective measure to reduce their numbers,” says Irina Glinskaya, head of the epidemiology department of the Minsk City Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology.

In April-May of this year, specialists conducted an entomological survey of the capital’s territories (parks, squares, green areas) and mapped the places where arthropods were found. The original was published on the website of the Minsk-News agency.

Tick ​​activity map in Minsk

At the same time, as the Tovarishch.online resource reports, the Republican Center for Hygiene, Epidemiology and Public Health has registered a 3-fold increase in the number of ticks in the country’s biotopes compared to last year. In particular, their number has increased in the Gomel and Brest regions.

Who it?

A tick is not an insect. It is from the subclass of arthropods of the arachnid class. Therefore, anti-mosquito and other blood-sucking insect repellents have no effect on ticks. To protect yourself from them using a spray or cream, buy an anti-tick product.

Ticks live in bushes and grass at a height of 20 cm, crawl onto the victim like ordinary spiders, and crawl from bottom to top, reaching open areas of the body. They do not jump on people from trees, and they do not jump at all, contrary to popular belief.

Ticks are most often found in mixed forests. In pine forests, where there is no dense grass, they are observed less frequently. During the day, the activity of ticks is also uneven: on warm days they are most aggressive from 8 to 11 am, with the onset of heat they become inactive, and in the evening they wake up again. In cloudy weather, tick activity hardly changes, and in rain it stops abruptly, unless it is drizzling for several days. These arthropods wake up from hibernation at a temperature of about 5 degrees Celsius and in late autumn, at the same temperature, fall asleep again.

If you were bitten

The first thing you need to do is try to get the tick out as quickly as possible. The longer it “bites”, the higher the likelihood of infection entering the human body if the tick is infected. It is believed that if an arthropod is in the body for less than 12 hours, the risk of contracting an infection is minimal.

The first and most reliable option is to see a doctor. Go to the nearest clinic, go to the nearest reception center if you find a tick late in the evening. It is very difficult to get it yourself: it holds tightly, and if you accidentally tear the tick, it will be difficult even for a doctor to pull it out. In addition, at the clinic they will pack the “bloodsucker” into a jar for analysis and prescribe antibiotics.

Be careful: the drug prescribed in such cases in our clinics is doxycycline , which has strong side effects: dizziness, weakness, nausea. It is impossible to work in this condition, much less drive a car. If it is important for you to stay in shape in the next few days after the bite, ask your doctor about alternative medications, they are available, but their cost may be several times higher.

If you find yourself far from medical facilities, for example, on a three-day hike, you will have to pull out the tick yourself. There is no need to lubricate it with oil or alcohol, or heat it or use other methods recommended on the Internet. The only way is to remove a live tick using tweezers or a loop of thread, gently rocking the head and slowly pulling it out. Wear gloves - the infection is in the abdomen of the tick, and if it is infected, there is a danger of being infected through microtraumas on your hands if you accidentally tear or crush it. Moreover, a torn tick will not be accepted for analysis. Having pulled it out, wipe the bite area with iodine, pack the tick in a jar and save. When you return home, be sure to consult a doctor. The clinic will assess your condition, the condition of the bite site and prescribe preventive medications.

Never take antibiotics away from medical facilities. The body's reaction to potent medications is unpredictable; in this case, it is better to postpone the prevention of tick-borne infections for several days.

The first consultation on what to do if you are bitten by a tick, as well as asking where you should go at night, can be obtained by calling the Emergency Helpline: 8 (017) 287-89-39. Do not hesitate to call and do not pay attention if the other end of the line says that you are bothering them over nothing. They are obliged to provide such consultations.

Mite analysis

Whether or not to submit a tick for analysis is up to you. Someone wants to know for sure whether the tick was healthy, while another, more psychologically stable person will forget about the bite the next day. Medical institutions are not required to do such an analysis and offer it only for a fee. Tick ​​analysis in the laboratory on the street. Petrusya Brovki, 7a, costs 80,000 Bel. rubles The tick will be tested for the two most common infections - Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis. In the laboratory on the street. Filimonov will test it according to 4 indicators, and it costs 400,000 Bel. rubles For analysis, you need to submit a tick as early as possible, preferably within 24 hours after it was taken out.

Blood analysis

If you go to a medical facility, you may be asked to take a blood test a few weeks after the bite. This is done so that, in the event of the development of any disease in the future, you know that this may be associated specifically with a tick bite. If your symptoms are similar to those of Lyme disease or tick-borne encephalitis, your doctor will consider this test information when making a diagnosis and prescribing treatment.

And so as not to be bitten

The most important thing is to dress properly when going out into nature! Ticks do not bite through clothing, but search for open areas of the body. When going into the forest, wear rubber boots or high boots that you can tuck your pants into. Tuck a T-shirt or shirt into your pants - this way, even if you pick up a tick, it will take a long time to crawl up. Hands and face can be treated with anti-tick cream or spray. Check yourself regularly, and when you arrive home, immediately take off and shake off your clothes.

In a village or country house, monitor the condition of your own yard. If you have thickets of raspberries and knee-deep grass on your property, ticks will be your constant neighbors and will not miss the opportunity to bite you, children and pets. If you mow the grass regularly and thin out the bushes, ticks will be uncomfortable on your property. You can treat the area with a disinfectant.

And remember the main thing: just because a tick was infected, this does not mean that a person will also get sick. If your immune system is healthy, it will be able to extinguish the virus without consequences and without the help of medications. Therefore, first of all, take care of your own health.

A vaccinated person is not afraid of a bite

There is only one way to develop lasting immunity against tick-borne encephalitis - to get vaccinated against this infection. You can get vaccinated for free at any public clinic at your place of registration. Only effective, well-proven domestic vaccines are used - “Tick E-Vac” for children and “EnceVir” for adults. So, this year almost 4 thousand people have already been vaccinated in Moscow, and about a thousand in the Moscow region. In 2021, 33.7 thousand and 9.5 thousand residents were vaccinated, respectively.

As the press service of the capital's health department told RG, the standard vaccination regimen against tick-borne viral encephalitis consists of three preventive vaccinations.

The interval between the first and second is at least one month, and a year must pass between the second and third. To further maintain immunity, it is necessary to carry out a single booster vaccination every three years. This vaccine protects 95% of vaccinated people. But even if the disease occurs in vaccinated people, the disease occurs with fewer consequences.

Both adults and children (over 1 year old) can be vaccinated all year round without any restrictions. Experts from the department recommend planning vaccination in such a way that at least two weeks pass from the moment of the second vaccination before leaving for an endemic area. During this time, protective immunity should have time to form. And since May and June are considered the most dangerous months, those who, for example, are going to the Vologda region, should get vaccinated right now. But you just need to remember about contraindications - these include acute infectious and non-infectious diseases, as well as chronic diseases in the acute stage (for example, bronchial asthma). The vaccination should be done no earlier than a month after recovery.

Tick ​​habitats

In Russia, ticks live in the forest climatic zone. Ticks are widespread in the northern and central countries of Western Europe and northern China. The habitats of ticks are areas of land covered with grass and low shrubs. These can be the edges of deciduous forests, meadows, clearings, shores of lakes and rivers, sunlit slopes. In coniferous forests, ticks prefer to settle in rubble of dry branches and litter. In places where there are no thickets of grass, there are practically no ticks.

How to protect yourself from ticks in nature. In populated areas where the grass on the roadsides is not mowed and there are piles of leaves and branches, it is easy to suffer from tick bites. On unmown lawns in cities, children and pets can become victims of blood-sucking ticks. Ticks need plant debris; they live in grass and climb it to a height of 1.5 m. The main concentration of ticks is in areas along roads and paths.

Why is a tick dangerous?

How to protect yourself from ticks in nature. Dust mites do not feed on human blood, but can cause allergies in people. This may be a reaction of the human body to the waste products of these insects, to their bites, to the chitinous shell of dead ticks. Among the blood-sucking ticks, the most dangerous are:

1. Ixodid ticks are those that live in forests and are the main carriers of encephalitis.
2. Argasid mites - living in caves, grottoes, cracks in stones, sometimes they live near a person in a barn or other fairly warm room; attack mammals at night and can become a source of tick-borne relapsing fever.
3. Gamasid mites - feed on the blood of reptiles, birds, and mammals (including domestic ones).
4. Mouse mites - It is they, parasitizing on rodents, that can transmit the causative agent of smallpox rickettsiosis to humans.
5. Armored mites are intermediate hosts of tapeworms. They live in grass litter. Herbivores (sheep, goats) swallow ticks and helminth larvae inside them along with the grass.
6. Scabies mites - they gnaw passages in the skin layer and lay eggs; they parasitize mammals.

Read also the article: “Should children be vaccinated?”

Where do ticks live in nature?

Ticks pose a great threat to humans because they are carriers of infectious diseases. Every year, thousands of people affected by their bites visit medical institutions. There are also fatalities, so it is useful to know where this dangerous parasite lives in nature and how to escape from it.

Ticks are lovers of damp places. Most often, they can be caught in forests where deciduous trees predominantly grow: birch, aspen, rowan, linden, etc. In dry coniferous forests, the risk of becoming a victim of bloodsuckers is low; they do not live here.

Where is the enemy attacking from? There is a misconception that a tick falls on a person by falling from tree branches. In fact, these dangerous insects are waiting for their prey below - on the grass, along the paths. During the period of activity of these arachnids, from April to May, you should be careful in city squares, parks and other green areas - in these places you can also pick up the parasite.

Moistened tall grass is the optimal habitat for the bloodsucker. There are also areas where ticks cannot survive: rocky areas, high bare rocks, mountain slopes. The higher the area, the safer the area - and the easier it is to protect yourself from ticks. Ignoring such places by these insects is associated not only with insufficient humidity, but also with the lack of undergrowth.

You won’t find ticks near clusters of anthills. Ants eat these insects while they are still growing, so they do not have time to grow.

How do bloodsuckers attack humans or animals?

The tick waits for the victim, climbing onto the tip of a blade of grass or a branch of a bush, at a height of no more than half a meter. Having taken his post, he stretches out his front legs, on which the olfactory organs are located, and moves them, moving them from side to side. When a potential victim passes by, close enough, the bloodsucker attacks: it gets caught in the fur of an animal or the fibers of clothing. It holds on very tightly, since its paws are equipped with claws and suction cups.

Both humans and animals (wild or domestic) can become victims of blood-sucking insects. It is impossible to detect the moment of a tick attack, since the insects are small and difficult to notice on clothing. Few people feel the movement of the bloodsucker on the skin. Its bite is painless, because an anesthetic substance enters the human body with its saliva.

Quite a long time passes from the moment the bloodsucker hits clothing until it bites. The dangerous insect first lands on clothing, then looks for a path to human skin. Having reached an accessible area, it either digs in immediately, or looks for a place where the skin is especially tender (armpits, stomach, chest, groin area), and sticks there.

A person discovers an embedded tick some time after the bite. As a rule, the insect manages to drink blood, which leads to an increase in the volume of its body. A person suddenly notices a growth on the skin that feels like a pimple or wart.

How to protect yourself from parasites?

To avoid tick attacks, it is important to provide the necessary protection against parasites. Essential oils can be used to make solutions that repel pests. But they should be divided into folk remedies for ticks for older people and children.

Important! Before using the chosen product, it is necessary to test it for a possible allergic reaction. A lotion, spray or homemade gel is applied to the wrist, and the reaction is monitored over several hours. When itching, burning and redness are not observed, it is possible to use the product.

Peppermint spray

Peppermint spray is something that ticks are very afraid of. To make it, you will need the following components:

• water – 0.25 l;
• alcohol – 2 tsp;
• mint oil – 2 tsp.

The solution is prepared as follows:

1. Each component must be diluted in a container with a lid.
2. The vessel can be stored for no more than six months, then a new one must be made.
3. If necessary, before each time you go outside, you should spray the solution on your clothes and skin - this will help repel parasites. The product is suitable for spraying onto a backpack, tent and sleeping bag.

Important! The protective characteristics of the treated clothing last up to several days and weaken in heavy rain, heat or wind.

Herbal cologne

To protect yourself from tick bites, prepare herbal cologne according to the recipe. To make it you will need 1 tbsp. l. some cologne and 10-15 drops of valerian. The mixture is stored in a closed container for no more than six months. To use the product precisely, you need to wet cotton wool and apply cologne to the surface of your skin or clothing.

Vanilla perfume

Ingredients for preparation:

• water – 1 l;
• vanillin – 2 g.

Vanillin is mixed with water, then the solution is brought to a boil. Then the broth cools and is poured into the jar. A similar decoction with vanillin should be used before each time you go outside, moistening cotton wool and applying the product to the child’s skin or clothes.

Protective cream

Balm components:

• lavender oil – 20 drops;
• geranium oil – 20 drops;
• aloe cream – 150 g;
• sunflower oil – 0.3 l.

Each component, in addition to essential oils, is mixed. Next, the closed container with the mixture is shaken so that the ingredients are mixed until smooth. Then drops of oils are added inside and the vessel is shaken again.

The product can be stored for up to six months; it should be spread on as needed (apply directly to the skin or clothing).

Clove decoction

A decoction of cloves is effective. You will need the following components:

• cloves – 1 tsp;
• water – 200 g.

Prepare the solution:

1. The plant is added to the water, the mass is placed on the fire and brought to a boil.
2. The product cools and infuses for at least 8 hours.

Afterwards, the mixture is poured into a comfortable container with a lid and used if necessary.

Vietnamese "Star"

To prepare the product you will need:

• water – 0.25 l;
• soap solution – 10 g;
• apple cider vinegar – 50 g;
• “Star” – 0.5 tsp.

Important! Each ingredient is mixed in a container. Next, you need to tighten the lid tightly and stir until the product reaches a homogeneous state. Then you can take the mixture on the road; before going out you need to anoint yourself with the prepared substance.

Formic acid

Forest regulars recommend taking off your outer clothing and leaving it on the anthill for 5 minutes. Then things need to be shaken off thoroughly so that the ants leave. This is effective, since ticks cannot tolerate formic acid, so they will not climb onto clothes that are saturated with this substance. It is permissible to use formic alcohol against ticks, which you have prepared yourself.

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 dress for ticks in the forest?

Even when it is extremely hot outside, when going to a forest area, it is optimal to wear closed clothing. Such a measure will provide an opportunity to escape not only from ticks, but also from other harmful insects. In summer trousers and a shirt you will not feel the heat, but will provide protection from ticks.

Socks with a tight elastic band are chosen, pants are tucked into boots, and outerwear is tucked into trousers. The cuffs and collar fit snugly to the body. A hood or scarf is put on the head, and the hair is tucked under the headdress.

For those who like to be in the forest, or their professional activities involve prolonged exposure to nature, there are special encephalitis suits. Their characteristic feature will be the strength of the material, which the tick will not be able to bite through. Some varieties of such suits are additionally treated with agents that repel pests. This will help protect against bites.

Protective drugs

Throughout your walk or vacation, clothing should be treated several times with special preparations. All means of protection against ticks for humans are divided into three groups:

• Repellents - their main active ingredient is diethyltoluamide. They are produced in the form of lotions and aerosols. The drug is applied to exposed skin and clothing or only to clothing. These include: “Biban”, “Medilis”, “Off”, “Ultrathon”, etc.
• Acaricides - here the active component is usually alphamethrin or cypermethrin and its derivatives. These substances have a nerve-paralytic effect on ticks. Upon contact with the treated areas, the parasite loses the ability to move and simply falls off the clothing. The release form, in most cases, is an aerosol. Among acaricides, the most popular are such products as “Picnic – Anti-Tick”, “Gardex”, “Fumitox”, “Tornado – Anti-Tick”, etc.
  

  Important! Only clothing is allowed to be treated with acaricides. It is prohibited to apply them to the skin! In this case, clothes are sprayed not on a person, but laid out, for example, on the floor. Put it on only after the preparation has completely dried!

• Combined preparations are insecticidal and repellent. They are called combined because they combine the main functions of repellents and acaricides. They are based, as a rule, on alphamethrin and diethyltoluamide, and therefore are active not only against ticks, but also against mosquitoes. These products include: “Moskitol spray”, Klesh-Kaput”, “Gardex Extreme”, etc.

Recommendations for use

How can you protect yourself from ticks using such drugs?

• If we consider the above-described groups of drugs and make a choice, then preference should be given to acaricides or combination drugs.
• Before you begin to directly use this or that product, you must carefully read the instructions.
• Protective preparations against ticks are applied in circular strips, paying special attention to the cuffs, collar, area around the waist, ankles, knees and hips.
• Do not forget that the layer of the drug must be renewed from time to time. You will find the expiration date in the same instructions.
• Hot weather, excessive sweating, precipitation and strong wind are factors due to which the duration of action of the drug can be significantly reduced.

Garlic spray against ticks

Garlic spray is prepared from 100 grams of alcohol-containing liquid and 5-7 cloves of peeled garlic. Garlic is grated or chopped in a blender. The pulp is combined with vodka or alcohol. The composition is allowed to brew for 12 hours. The mixture is filtered and thoroughly filtered. Apply to clothing with a spray bottle.

Essential oils that repel ticks

You can add essential oils to ready-made body care gels, the smell of which repels ticks. Such essential oils include geranium, peppermint, eucalyptus, and lavender. The product may contain 50 g of aloe vera gel, 10 drops of geranium and lavender oil, 150 g of vegetable oil. The mixture is shaken well and used for application to the skin of the face, hands and other areas of the body.

The oils in any cream can be easily rubbed into the baby’s skin.

The aroma of the “Zvezdochka” balm has always been distinguished by its brightness and strength. A few drops of balm are added to 10 ml of liquid soap, mixed with 50 ml of apple cider vinegar and 200 ml of cold boiled water. All components are thoroughly mixed and used for application to the body. You can apply a composition based on cologne with the scent of cloves and a few drops of pharmaceutical tincture of valerian root to your clothes.

Vodka with vanilla against ticks

A similar product is obtained by mixing vanilla powder with vodka. For 150 g of liquid take 3 g of vanillin. The mixture is kept in a cool, dark place for a week. This product can be applied not only to clothing, but also to open areas of the body. Before use, you need to make sure that people who plan to use it are not allergic to the smell of vanilla.

Pharmacy products

Even if you follow all safety rules in the forest, there will still be a risk of getting bitten by a parasite. To be absolutely sure, it is necessary to treat clothing and exposed parts of the body with a tick repellent.

Acaricidal agents include the insectoacaricide alphamethrin. The aerosol preparation provokes paralysis in pests, and they simply fall from things. According to reviews, the most effective means are:

• Taiga-Anti-mite spray;
• Milbiol;
• Anti-Tick Picnic;
• Allergof;
• Tornado;
• Reftamide;
• Gardex Extreme.

The drugs are extremely active and harmful, so it is recommended to apply them to clothes, wait until the clothes dry, and only then put them on.

Repellents help prevent contact with pests. Having sensed diethyltoluamide, they crawl away. The drugs will protect against parasites for 5 days. They are not very toxic, so they can be applied to clothing and exposed parts of the body. The most common:

• Extreme;
• Gardex;
• DEFI-taiga;
• Gal-RET;
• Reftamide.

These products can be used to protect yourself not only from ticks, but also from mosquitoes and other harmful insects. They can last more than 7 days.

Insecticidal and repellent components retain the properties of 2 groups:

• Gardex Extreme;
• Medilis-comfort;
• Moskitol Special protection against ticks;
• Kra-Rep;
• Kaput tick.

Effective folk recipes

Working methods of protection that are suitable for people and can be used on the body:

• Geranium oil spray. To prepare this spray you will need 200 ml of water, a teaspoon of oil. Mix these components, you can also add alcohol to them as an emulsifier. Place the liquid in a special container with a spray bottle. The product can be sprayed on clothes, linen, and areas where pets live.
• Spray with clove oil. Cloves are not only a very aromatic spice, but also a very effective remedy against ticks. Use whole dried flowers, bring them to a boil in water, then let them brew thoroughly. This solution can be used to treat clothing and the body. You can also use clove oil. In addition to ticks, it will also repel mosquitoes. At the same time, there are no unpleasant consequences for your body.
• Anti-tick lotion. For this remedy, prepare 2 cups of vegetable oil, aloe gel (1 cup), and 20 drops each of rose geranium and lavender essential oils. Take an empty shampoo bottle or other suitable container. Mix the ingredients and shake very thoroughly. This powerful repellent can be applied to your arms, legs, neck, and any exposed areas of your body when you go outside. Even if a tick tries to cling, having felt these substances on its body, it will fall off very quickly, without having time to bite you.

Folk remedies can be a good and, most importantly, safe option for protection, but you should not rely on them too much! When going into the forest, do not forget to wear closed clothing, wear hats, and be sure to check your body for bites from time to time. Traditional repellents cannot provide 100% guarantee of protection.

Now you know how to protect yourself and can spend time outdoors without unpleasant adventures.

With the arrival of warm days, more and more people are looking for nature - to warm up, breathe fresh air, and spend time with good company. Especially during the May holidays. For this long weekend, people are planning barbecue picnics, trips to their dachas, and hikes in the forest. Before such events, it is very important to take care that you are not bitten by ticks. They tend to live in thick grass, easily climb onto human clothing, and then look for an area of ​​exposed skin to dig into with their slender proboscis. A person does not feel the bite, since the tick, along with saliva, releases painkillers into the wound. The insect needs blood for nutrition, but why can a tick be dangerous? How does its bite affect the human body?

Prevention of diseases transmitted by ticks

In order not to become infected with anything from ticks, it is necessary to avoid contact with them, because if an insect bit you and it was a carrier of infection, the likelihood that you are already infected is very high. To do this, vaccinate against tick-borne encephalitis at the beginning of the “tick season” and follow these simple rules:

• dress so that only your hands and face are exposed; clothing should fit snugly to the body;
• use repellent and acaricidal agents to treat clothing and personal items;
• avoid dark places with a lot of plants; walk where it is warm and the sun is shining;
• periodically inspect the clothes on yourself and your comrades;
• check your clothes when you get home, and your pet if he walked with you;

If you find a tick on yourself, remove it without leaving the head under the skin and submit it for examination to find out whether you are infected or not.

Get vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis for yourself and your children

First aid

Having prepared to go on a hike or just take a walk in nature and having figured out how to protect yourself from a tick attack, you also need to become familiar with the provision of prompt assistance if the parasite does bite you.

The bite itself is very difficult to notice, since the tick releases saliva, which numbs the wound. As soon as you find an insect, you need to try to get it out immediately.

• You should take nail tweezers or a special device. If there are no instruments, improvised means may be suitable. You need to take a thread, make a loop and put it around the proboscis.
• Having tightened the loop, you should carefully, rocking from side to side, pull out the tick, turning it around its axis.

Removing a tick using tweezers

If extraction is not carried out correctly, the head may come off and remain inside. Then you need to wipe the bite site with cotton wool soaked in alcohol and pull out the head with a needle pre-calcined in the fire, like a splinter. The wound should then be disinfected.

If you cannot remove the bloodsucker yourself, you need to go to the nearest trauma center.

Having pulled out the parasite, you need to place it in an airtight container, for example, a bottle of some medicine or put it inside a plastic bag, and tie the neck tightly.

Then you should fill out the label, indicating the full name and contact information of the victim, the date, time and place of discovery of the tick. After this, you should immediately contact an accredited laboratory to check the insect for infections.

Preventive measures

Ticks do not attach immediately. You can find an insect that has not yet attached itself in time; for this you need to periodically examine yourself and each other. Do not crush a tick you find! Is it dangerous! There can always be tiny wounds and abrasions on the skin of the fingers that we may not even notice. It is through them that the tick-borne encephalitis virus can enter the blood from a crushed insect. The likelihood of developing the disease in this case is high.

If you notice that the tick has already attached itself, remove it carefully. Some people lubricate its back with oil. It's useless, it doesn't help. Then how to remove a tick? To do this, tie a thread around the proboscis and, gently shaking it from side to side, carefully remove the insect. If the proboscis comes off, then remove it like an ordinary splinter. Lubricate the suction area with any disinfectant.

It is better to professionally remove a tick in the nearest medical facility. Please watch this video and you will learn how to remove an attached tick using a thread.

It is better to submit the attached tick to a virology laboratory for examination. Within 1-2 days you will be given a result in which you will find out whether “your” tick was infectious. If the tick is infected with the tick-borne encephalitis virus, then for prophylactic purposes it is necessary to begin a course of treatment with iodantipyrine according to a scheme that is easy to remember:

• 2 days take 3 tablets (dose of 0.1 tablets) 3 times a day;
• 2 days take 2 tablets 3 times a day;
• 2 days, 1 tablet 3 times a day.

The medicine is taken orally after meals.

If the tick has been infected with borrelia, which causes tick-borne borreliosis (Lyme disease), antibiotic therapy with one of these drugs is carried out for prophylactic purposes: doxycycline (it is safer for the gastrointestinal tract). Take 0.1 (1 tablet) 1 time per day for 5 days. It is contraindicated in children under 8 years of age. If more than 5 days have passed since the tick was bitten, but no more than 10 days, then doxycycline administration is extended to 10 days. If preclinic is not available, it can be replaced with other antibiotics, but you must always consult with an infectious disease specialist.

According to existing regulatory documents, in the case of tick bites in children (regardless of their age), they are administered anti-tick immunoglobulin at the rate of 0.1 ml per 1 kg of child weight.

All victims of a tick bite are under medical observation for 21 days. During this period, it is necessary to monitor your well-being, measure the temperature and reaction on the skin at the site of tick suction. Find out what the symptoms of tick-borne infections may be.

Consequences of a tick bite for humans

Ticks can be carriers of infections dangerous to humans. Particularly serious diseases include:

• viral encephalitis, which affects the brain and nervous system, can cause nerve paralysis and death;
• transmissible Lyme disease - borreliosis, which affects the lymphatic system, joints, disrupting the heart rhythm and the functioning of other internal organs;
• monocytic ehrlichiosis causes pathology of the cardiovascular system, acute renal failure, interstitial pneumonia;
• granulocytic anaplasmosis provokes the development of anicteric hepatitis with increased transaminase activity.

In addition to the listed diseases, tick-borne infections affect the lungs, causing pneumonia and pulmonary hemorrhage. The liver is also affected, causing dysfunction of the digestive system.

Ticks are active carriers of several types of microbes and viruses. Therefore, to prevent them from disturbing you, follow simple but effective methods of protection.

How to treat the territory (summer cottage, forest clearing)?

To repel ticks, it is recommended to treat the area. The dacha plot is treated regularly in spring and autumn. Treatment is carried out on dry days; the treated area is not visited for 3–5 days. The table below shows a list of drugs that help protect a clearing, summer cottage or garden plot from blood-sucking insects:

A forest clearing for a picnic is not treated before settling down on it. The resting place is covered with branches of wormwood, flowering bird cherry, tansy - the smell of these plants will repel dangerous insects and help vacationers protect themselves from them.

How to properly remove a tick?

If, despite all the precautions, you are still bitten, then pull the tick out as quickly and carefully as possible. This will not save you from encephalitis, since the virus is contained in saliva. But it may well be caused by borreliosis: the bacteria are in the tick’s stomach and do not immediately enter the bloodstream.

If you often go into the forest, then buy a special extraction device, which is sold in pharmacies. Take with you a couple of jars where you can place the insect. If there is no device, then pull it out with your fingers (but then disinfect your hands).

You need to grab the tick as close to the proboscis as possible, but do not squeeze the body so as not to squeeze the borrelia into the wound. You need to pull it slightly. If you haven’t pulled it out, twist it in any direction so that the antennae on the proboscis press against the sting and come out of the flesh. A couple of turns will be enough. Then remove the insect.

If you tore a tick from the trunk and it remains in the wound, act in the same way as a splinter. After removing the tick, treat the wound with disinfectants: iodine, brilliant green.

By the way, you should not smear the tick with oil. He will not crawl out on his own, but will simply die in agony, having released bacteria from his stomach into the wound before dying. It’s also better not to treat the wound with alcohol.

The tick must not be thrown away! You need to put it in a special jar and take it to the laboratory (more on this below)

Overall: it’s better to take a small first aid kit with you into the forest.

• Tick ​​repellent
• Tick ​​removal device
• A small jar
• Iodine or brilliant green

It takes up little space, and going into the forest becomes much safer.

Save a dog from piroplasmosis: prevention and treatment

If there is no treatment or if treatment is delayed, the dog becomes weaker every day, the hind limbs weaken, and paralysis may develop. Intestinal dysfunction occurs. The chronic course is more common in dogs that have previously had piroplasmosis.

Sources

• https://pohod-lifehack.ru/kak-zashhititsya-ot-kleshhej-v-lesu-ili-v-pohode-01/
• https://GdeKlop.ru/kleshchi/chego-boyatsya/
• https://felisov.ru/kleshchi/kak-zashchititsya.html
• https://VrediteliSOS.ru/nasekomye/kleshhi/kak-zashchititsya-ot-kleshchej.html
• https://beetlestop.ru/meryi-zashhityi-ot-kleshhey/
• https://www.ohotniki.ru/hunting/societys/societys/article/2015/06/08/643900-kak-zaschititsya-ot-kleschey.html

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