With the onset of warmth, not only nature and all living things wake up along with it; in the spring, harmful parasites also awaken. On the territory of Russia, ticks are the most threatening to humans. The reason for their danger is that these blood-sucking pests can live and parasitize on the human body for a long time, and even infect it with fatal diseases through the blood.
Pliers: description
Such representatives of the arachnid species are not large in size, as they grow in length up to 3 mm and no more. The average size of these living creatures is in the range of 0.1-0.5 mm. Ticks, like all arachnids, lack wings. Adults have up to 4 pairs of legs, while juveniles have only 3 pairs of legs. Ticks also do not have eyes, but this feature does not prevent ticks from sensing their prey at a considerable distance, thanks to the presence of a special sensitive apparatus. Depending on the structure of the body, ticks are divided into several groups: leathery, with a head that is fused to the chest, and also with a head that is movably connected to the body (armored). Depending on this, each group breathes in its own way: the first 2 groups supply oxygen to their organs through the skin or trachea, and the last group breathes through a special organ.
Ear mites
Infection with ear mites occurs through contact with a sick animal, through household and hygiene items. The disease can be transmitted by other insects (mosquitoes, flies) and even people.
Ear scabies is a contagious disease of cats caused by microscopic bloodsuckers that affect the inside of the ear and sometimes the skin on the head. Parasites feed on particles of skin, wax, and blood.
Their presence in an animal can be determined by a brown coating and dark discharge in the ears. These waste products of ticks are evidence of infection with otodectosis . But only a veterinarian can make an accurate diagnosis; the same symptoms are present in other diseases.
Ear scabies can be cured in one month. If prescribed by a doctor, you can do all the necessary procedures yourself: clean and rinse your pet’s ears with disinfectants, instill medicinal drops, treat with ointments. To boost immunity, give the animal vitamins.
If you do not help your pet, complications may arise, leading to damage to the eardrums, ears, and even the lining of the brain. Suppurative otitis media will lead to hearing loss and death.
Diet of ticks
Depending on their diet, ticks are divided into:
- Saprophages that feed on organic matter.
Saprophages are involved in the process of converting humus, therefore they are considered very useful living beings. Parasitic mites, whose diet consists of plant sap, cause significant damage to agriculture. They destroy crop reserves at high speed.
Dust or scabies mites eat dead particles of human skin. Barn mites cause serious damage to food stored in warehouses. Subcutaneous mites eat fat that accumulates in human hair follicles. Spider mites suck the juices of various plants, including cultivated ones. Ear mites feed on the fat layer located in the ear canals.
- Predators that parasitize both animals and plants.
Blood-sucking ticks are constantly in their hiding places, where they wait for their potential victim. On the legs of these arachnids there are special claws and suction cups that allow them to cling to clothing, the body or skin of humans or animals. After they land on the body of their victim, they move to their places of vital activity. This could be the armpits, groin, head or neck area, etc. In this case, mites can parasitize the body of other types of mites or thrips.
Ticks, and especially their bites, are quite dangerous for humans, since parasites are carriers of fatal diseases such as encephalitis and others that are no less dangerous.
Ticks can remain without food for 3 years, but if they are very lucky, they become quite voracious, increasing in weight up to 120 times after being saturated with blood.
5 Most Dangerous Ticks in the World
Why are ticks dangerous for cats?
Ixodid tick bites in themselves are not dangerous to cats. But if the parasite is infected with any disease, upon contact with the animal, the infection or virus enters the blood. As a result, the pet gets sick:
- borelliosis;
- encephalitis;
- piroplasmosis;
- theileriosis;
- hemabartonellosis.
Subcutaneous ear mites are very small parasites that live in the upper layer of the epidermis or ear pinna, causing the following diseases:
- notoedrosis;
- otodectosis;
- sarcoptic mange;
- thrombiculosis;
- demodicosis;
- cheyletiellosis
Settling in the epidermis of a cat, mites bring her a lot of unpleasant sensations: constant itching, hair loss, ulcers, fistulas, damage to the mucous membranes. Only specialists in veterinary clinics can determine the type of parasite and prescribe treatment after laboratory tests.
Types of ticks with photos and descriptions
Scientists know about more than 40 thousand species of ticks, which are divided into 2 main groups. For example:
- Parasitiforms, such as gamasid, argasid, nutallium and ixodid ticks.
- Acariformes, such as scabies, hair, feather, marine, freshwater, thyroglyphoid, acaridia, oribatiformes, sarcoptiformes and thrombidiformes.
- Haymaking ticks are also isolated as a separate group.
Main types of ticks and their description:
Ixodid ticks
They differ in that their body is covered with reliable chitinous plates. Moreover, they can have quite impressive sizes. There are species that reach a length of up to 2.5 cm. This type of tick prefers to parasitize in temperate latitudes, where they hide in the leaves of trees and shrubs. Therefore, they are found on almost the entire Eurasian continent. Potential victims of ixodid ticks are wild or domestic animals, as well as humans. If it gets on the skin of its victim, it will be able to feed on blood for several weeks. The female is quite fertile, as she is capable of laying up to 17 thousand eggs per season.
Argasid mites
They prefer to live in crevices of various buildings and outbuildings, and can also live in bird nests, which birds do not use. Their potential victims are poultry and animals, although they can also attack humans. They are often found in chicken coops. Argas mites bite quite painfully, and a profuse rash appears at the site of the bite and unbearable itching occurs. This parasite is characterized by soft skin, and the head protrudes slightly beyond the body and seems barely noticeable.
Armored mites
They are found on the soil surface, although there are species that live in trees. These ticks are not parasites, since they feed on natural food, in the form of mushrooms, lichens, living plants and their remains, and they also eat various carrion. Despite this, oribatid mites pose a certain danger to both birds and animals. The fact is that they can infect with various types of helminths, including tapeworms.
Gamasid mites
They settle in bird nests, chicken coops, and also in rodent burrows, since they parasitize on them. This parasite lives for a little more than 6 months, growing up to 1 mm in length. During this period of time, the parasite can cause serious damage to poultry farms. Their vital activity leads to significant loss of feathers in birds, as well as the appearance of extensive scratching on the skin.
Subcutaneous mites
They live under the skin of humans or animals, causing a lot of discomfort. However, if parasites are not properly controlled, they can live for years, causing severe itching and irritation. The female lives no more than 3 months, but during this period she lays an average of 100 eggs, from which viable individuals emerge in just a couple of days.
Scabies mites
These are parasites that can cause a difficult-to-treat disease called scabies. At the same time, ticks parasitize both humans and animals. The problem is that parasites make a lot of tiny passages in the skin of a person or animal, which leads to itching and redness. Ticks feed on skin secretions. Adult ticks live no more than one and a half months, but during this time the female manages to lay eggs several times.
Ear mites
They settle in the ears of cats and dogs. They pose no danger to humans, but cause a lot of trouble to animals. Animals scratch their ears vigorously, which often leads to severe inflammation.
Dust mites (bed, linen)
They do not parasitize the body of humans or animals because they feed on dust, fluff, feathers or dead particles of human epidermis.
They often cause a disease such as asthma, which is practically untreatable. The female lives up to 4 months and during this time lays about 3 and a half hundred eggs.
Spider mites
They do not parasitize humans, animals or birds, as they are “vegetarians”. Their main diet consists of plant sap. They can be found on the plant if you look under the underside of the leaves. In addition to the fact that they actively suck juices from plants, they can infect the plant with gray rot. This disease can lead to the death of the plant.
Water (sea) mites
For their life activities, they choose various bodies of fresh water. Some species prefer to live in salty sea water. As a rule, they parasitize mollusks and other insects living in the water column.
Predatory mites
They destroy their relatives, so people use this factor in the fight against parasites in greenhouses and greenhouse farms. Typically, predatory mites help control spider mites.
Barn mites
These are quite serious pests that cause great damage to grain or flour stocks, although they do not pose a danger to humans. Its vital activity leads to the unsuitability of food products, as they become clogged with waste from the vital activity of parasites. This leads to the appearance of mold and rot, after which it is unsafe to eat such products.
Pasture mites
They are found in the southern regions of Russia, Kazakhstan, Transcaucasia, etc. Prefers to live in forest or forest-steppe zones. They pose a danger to both animals and humans, since after their bites you can become infected with encephalitis, plague, fever, etc.
Brown dog ticks
They pose a great danger to dogs, although they are safe for humans. They are found almost everywhere, but especially numerous populations are found in coastal areas and on the Black Sea coast.
Top 5 most dangerous types of ticks for humans.
Tick-borne diseases
Having suffered from a tick bite, it is impossible to say for sure that there will be no further serious consequences. The thing is that many representatives of this species are carriers of diseases that are terrible for humans. The most serious include encephalitis, Lyme disease, and ehrlichiosis. Relapsing tick-borne fever, tularemia, babesiosis, and spotted fever are also common. All diseases transmitted by ticks entail an extremely serious condition, often resulting in disability and an extremely long rehabilitation period, and sometimes death.
Lyme disease - symptoms, consequences, treatment
Lyme disease (tick-borne borreliosis) is caused by the bite of a tick that carries a spirochete called ixodid. Infection occurs when saliva from an infected arachnid enters a wound on the skin. There are also cases when a person himself, while scratching his skin, rubs in an infection from a crushed tick. The main symptom after injury is a red spot, the surface of which rises above other areas of the skin, with a white center, which then turns into a crust and a scar.
Within 1.5 months, disorders of the nervous system, cardiac apparatus and joints appear. Paralysis, insomnia, depression, and hearing loss are common. The outcome of this disease is usually not fatal, but the effects on the heart can be serious. To treat Lyme disease, experts prescribe antibiotics (from 2 weeks); in more severe cases, they are administered intravenously.
Encephalitis - symptoms, consequences, treatment
Encephalitis is one of the most serious diseases, which is an acute disorder in the brain. Its cause lies in the immune system, which mistakenly attacks its own tissues. Encephalitis ticks live in many forests in Europe and Russia, but refusing to visit them is not guaranteed to save you from the disease - ticks are often hidden in branches and fur.
Surprisingly, even after drinking the milk of an infected cow or goat, a weak body can become infected with encephalitis. The virus spreads within 1.5 weeks, affecting the gray matter of the brain, accompanied by convulsions, paralysis of either certain muscles or entire limbs. After damage to the entire brain, severe headaches, vomiting, and loss of consciousness are observed. The consequences are very serious - disability and, in frequent cases, death. To treat encephalitis, doctors prescribe intravenous immunoglobulin, and antiviral drugs are required for prevention.
Where do ticks live?
Various types of ticks are found on almost all continents, regardless of climate zone. Ticks prefer damp areas of the landscape, so they are more often found in forest ravines, in undergrowth, in thickets of coastal vegetation, in flooded meadows, on overgrown paths, on animal fur, in dark warehouses, etc. Some species live in ponds, rivers, lakes and seas, and some species prefer human habitation and various outbuildings.
Prevention of infection
It is difficult to protect a cat from becoming infected with ticks, especially if she lives in a private yard and walks wherever she wants. In order for your pet to be in good shape and delight you with a pleasant purring, you need to examine it after every walk.
Use a thick comb to comb near the ears, paws, belly, under the arms, inspect the ears and paw pads for ticks. If a parasite is found, it must be removed immediately.
In summer cottages where cats live, it is advisable to regularly mow the lawn, remove tall grass, and treat the area with insecticides that kill the parasite. It is recommended to frequently vacuum the floors in the house and carry out wet cleaning so that not a single bloodsucker can ruin the life of a pet. Use folk or chemical means to protect cats from tick attacks.
Mechanism of spread of ticks
On their own, ticks are not able to expand their living space, since they are able to overcome a few meters, but by attaching themselves to the body of a bird or animal, they are able to significantly expand their habitat. Ixodid ticks prefer to be in the temperate climate of Eurasia, but taiga and dog ticks are more common in Siberia, the Far East or the Baltic states.
Tick habitats
Ticks live in almost every corner of the world, with the exception of the most northern latitudes. Ground ticks prefer high humidity, so most often they live near water, in bushes, mosses, animal burrows or grass and fallen leaves.
There is an opinion that ticks live in trees and can fall on top of their prey at any moment. This is not true, because ticks are not able to climb to a height of more than a meter, so they prefer to hunt from the grass, from the branches of low bushes, such as blueberries, or from fallen leaves. This is why you should be wary of “halts” while hiking.
Most often, ticks wait for their prey in paths on the grass or near a forest road. But in a pine forest, where the humidity is much lower than deciduous and mixed forests, it is almost impossible to encounter ticks. The preference of ticks for a warm place of residence is also proven by their distribution in barns with bakery products or grain, apartments and even deep layers of human skin.
Development (reproduction) cycle of ticks
Most species of ticks reproduce using eggs, although viviparous species are also found. All arachnids, including ticks, are characterized by division into the opposite sex. Blood-sucking parasites have the most interesting life cycle. In this case, the following stages of development are distinguished:
- Laying eggs.
- Appearance of larvae.
- Transformation into a nymph.
- Adult stage.
How do ticks reproduce and lay eggs?
Reproduction of forest ticks occurs after full saturation. After fertilization, the female must feed on blood for about 10 days to produce offspring. At one time, she is capable of laying 5,000 eggs, which in the first stages after birth are located on low plants. Then, after the larvae emerge, they need to find a host - a vertebrate animal that will supply them with blood. This is what will allow the larvae to turn into nymphs (more adult individuals).
The growth doesn't stop there. To become an adult, ticks again need to find a victim and drink blood. The period during which the parasite grows from a larva into an ordinary adult tick is determined by two years. Under favorable conditions, it is reduced to 5-6 months.
Laying eggs
Somewhere towards the end of spring, with the arrival of summer, the female begins laying eggs. In this case, the number of eggs can reach up to 3 thousand, but before that the female must be saturated with blood. Tick eggs look quite voluminous compared to the size of the parasites themselves. Eggs consist of cytoplasm and a nucleus, which are covered with a reliable two-layer shell of various shades, depending on the species. Moreover, their shape can also be varied, both round and oval, both elongated and flattened.
Gamasoidea mites
Gamasid mite
Gamasid mites are 0.3-0.4 mm in size, light brown in color. These are parasites of reptiles and birds; only some subspecies of this family parasitize mammals. Gamasid mites do not parasitize humans, but in isolated cases they can be bitten. Gamasid mites do not cause dermatitis and other diseases, but they transmit piroplasmosis and tularemia, parasitizing rodents.
How dangerous is a tick larva to humans?
After about 2-4 weeks, tick larvae emerge from the eggs, which have a direct resemblance to adult individuals. The only differences are their small size (only 0.5 mm) and the presence of 3 pairs of limbs, since adults have 4 pairs.
The body of parasites is not yet fully formed and some elements may be missing. The larvae appear in the warm season, so during this period they are most active. Since the larvae are still very small, they are not able to rise to a significant height. In this regard, their food items are rodents, hedgehogs, lizards, etc. Digging into the body of its victim, the larva consumes blood for 6 days, after which it falls off and ends up on the ground. The next stage of its development begins - the nymph stage. The larvae are not particularly affected by flooding and can remain under water for up to a month.
According to American scientists, the bite of a tick larva is as dangerous as the bite of an adult. This is especially true in relation to ticks, which carry dangerous diseases such as encephalitis.
Can ticks jump and fly?
None of the tick species can fly, so there is no need to fear an attack from the air. Can ticks jump from tree branches and bushes? No, they are not capable of jumping. Their main way of attacking a victim is to cling to it. Ticks do not prefer to climb to a height above one and a half meters, but this is quite enough for them. In the event of a threat, such as a fire, the ticks simply detach from a branch or blade of grass and simply fall down. Some might call it a jump, but it's just an uncontrolled fall down.
Tick nymph and its danger
The nymph already has 4 pairs of legs, and its size reaches almost 2 mm. This parasite is already moving much more actively, so large animals or birds serve as food for it, and can also attack humans. What is most interesting is that the tick in the guise of a nymph overwinters and only with the onset of spring warmth it turns into sexually mature individuals of different sexes.
Nymphs, like adults, are capable of infecting humans with many serious diseases. Therefore, despite the fact that the tick individual has not yet formed properly, it is quite dangerous.
Barn mites
(Acaridae), also called mealies, or bread-bearing animals, are small animals with gnawing chelicerae. They live in soil and rotting plant debris, as well as in storage facilities for agricultural products, sometimes causing spoilage of grain, flour and cereals. Along with them, the pot-bellied tick ( Pyemotes
[
Pediculoides
]
ventricosus
) is a parasite of grain moth caterpillars and other granary insect pests that also attacks humans. In people who work with grain, it is capable of causing severe skin irritation and respiratory symptoms characteristic of allergic reactions through injections of the chelicerae. However, the pot-bellied tick quickly leaves a person, as it feeds on insect tissue.
Tick bite and diseases
The tick bite itself is a rather painful sensation, which is accompanied by negative emotions, itching, burning, and inflammatory processes. If only it all ended there! Together with saliva, the parasite is capable of transmitting some, sometimes fatal, ailments to its victim. For example:
- Lyme Borreliosis.
- Tick-borne encephalitis.
- Epilepsy and hyperkinesis.
- Arthritis.
- Jades.
- Problems with the gastrointestinal tract.
- Pneumonia or pulmonary hemorrhage.
- Heart arrhythmia and blood pressure problems.
- Paralysis of the limbs, with loss of capacity and ability to care for oneself.
Symptoms of a tick bite
As a result of a tick bite, a number of negative reactions of the human body are possible. This is especially true for people prone to allergies. For example:
- Inflammation of the bite site, which is accompanied by a significant increase in body temperature, fatigue and general weakness, chills, aches throughout the body, photophobia, swollen lymph nodes or Quincke's edema.
- In addition, severe headache, nausea and vomiting, and signs of hallucination with breathing problems are possible.
First aid for a tick bite
A tick bite is characterized by the fact that the parasite digs into the body of its victim. The first task is to get rid of the parasite, and you need to adhere to a number of rules. Firstly, the parasite cannot be crushed, and secondly, it must only be removed entirely. The head must not be allowed to remain in the human body. Before the extraction process itself, the problem area must be treated with hydrogen peroxide, iodine or another antiseptic. The steps are as follows:
- The protruding outer part of the parasite must be lubricated with vegetable oil and wait about 5 minutes. The respiratory organs are located in the tail part of the tick. When the parasite begins to suffocate, he will somehow begin to get out of this trap.
- The tick can be treated with kerosene and after 10 minutes it will either come off on its own or its grip will weaken. In this case, you can “unscrew” it using tweezers.
- If there is a wax candle nearby, then it is set on fire and the melted wax is directed towards the part of the parasite protruding from the human body. The wax will harden and cut off oxygen to it, which will force the tick to crawl out.
Mandatory step! The live tick should be stored in a plastic bag. After this, it should be taken to the laboratory for examination. The earlier the disease is detected, the easier it will be to cope with it.
In any case, after a tick bite, it is better to seek help from a specialist. In some cases, it is necessary to immediately call an ambulance. Otherwise, death is possible.
How to remove a tick with a thread If bitten by a tick How to Remove a tick with a THREAD Poddubnye
Ixodid ticks
They pose a danger not only to cats, but also to dogs and people, as they live in forests, park areas, and courtyards. They become more active in the warm season, with peak activity in May–June and August. Hardy and prolific.
They have an oval body of gray or brown color, protected by a shell (chitinous layer), a small head with a proboscis, and four pairs of paws. With the help of back-facing teeth, they bite through the skin and suck blood. In this case, saliva with an anesthetic effect enters the wound, envelops the proboscis and firmly sticks it.
Once satisfied, the parasites disappear on their own. In the male, the shell covers most of the body, and in the female, only a third. This is due to the fact that the female needs more food to successfully lay eggs; when saturated, her abdomen increases almost three times.
The female is much larger than the male, its dimensions reach 4 mm. The male when saturated does not exceed 2.5 mm. After mating, the female lays eggs and then dies.
Ticks move slowly. Once on the animal’s body, they find the most vulnerable places: the head, stomach, groin, bite through the skin and stick to the wound. The sooner the parasite is detected, the less likely it is to contract one of the dangerous diseases.
How to remove ticks
Not all bloodsuckers are carriers of infection, so there is no need to panic. It is important to correctly remove the parasite and store it in a glass jar in order to quickly determine the nature of the disease if necessary. If the tick has already attached itself and increased in size, it will be easier to find it in the cat’s fur. For safe extraction, you must adhere to certain rules:
- You cannot pick up a parasite with your bare hands; if you press it, it can burst; this is dangerous not only for the animal, but also for the owner.
- Do not use oil to remove the tick; when it chokes, it will release a portion of infected saliva into the wound.
- Try to remove the ixodid tick intact from the cat’s body. To do this, it is better to use special tweezers, with which you grab it as close to the head as possible and twist it clockwise.
- The use of improvised means, thread, or ordinary tweezers can lead to the parasite’s head remaining under the cat’s skin. In this case, the wound must be disinfected.
- The extracted bloodsucker should not be destroyed; if the pet subsequently turns out to be infected, it can be sent to the laboratory for testing.
- The tick must be destroyed correctly by placing it in a container with alcohol. Do not crush or wash off, these parasites are very tenacious.
Symptoms of infection
The incubation period after a tick attack in cats lasts up to three weeks. At this time, signs of infection may appear, so owners should carefully monitor the pet's condition. Kittens are especially vulnerable; their immunity has not yet developed, and the consequences can be more negative than in adult cats. You should immediately contact a veterinary clinic if the following symptoms appear:
- increased body temperature;
- poor appetite;
- diarrhea;
- cough;
- vomit;
- labored breathing;
- change in urine color (pink);
- weight loss.
Only a doctor can make the correct diagnosis and prescribe treatment. The faster this is done, the more effective the treatment will be.
Ticks are carriers of the following infectious diseases:
- Encephalitis - the first symptoms appear within 24 hours; the animal’s nervous system is affected: convulsions, paralysis and coma.
- Piroplasmosis – leads to intoxication of the body of infected cats due to a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the blood. Refusal of treatment leads to the death of the animal.
- Hemobartonellosis is characterized by a chronic disease of internal organs and is a form of infectious anemia.
- Borelliosis is a disease in which cats with good immunity recover within a month; in a negative scenario, serious complications occur: meningitis, radiculitis, heart pathologies, arthritis, paralysis.
- Tularemia – the lymphatic system is affected, intoxication of the body and blood poisoning occur. Possible death of the animal.
- Theileriosis - leads to damage to the circulatory system, hemorrhages, blockage of blood vessels and death.
Tick protection
Nowadays, modern industry has launched the production of many products - repellents that can protect humans and pets from tick attacks. At the same time, you can choose drugs for both adults and children. As a rule, the products are available in the form of sprays, which simplifies their use; just spray them on clothes. It should also be noted that there are some folk remedies that repel parasites. Due to their great sensitivity, parasites detect unpleasant odors at a distance of several meters. That's why:
- Ticks cannot tolerate the odors of many plants, including geraniums, marigolds and lavender. When going into nature, it is enough to put fragments of these plants in your pockets.
- Essential oils from the same plants have the same positive effect. To repel parasites, simply apply them lightly to your wrists and clothing.
- To protect yourself from the negative consequences of tick bites, it is better to go to a special institution and get vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis. This disease is considered the most dangerous and most common.
Months of tick activity
Ticks parasitize in nature from the beginning of April to the end of September, but their greatest activity in the area of our country is observed from April to July. From the second half of summer and into autumn, the chance of a parasite attack decreases, but the likelihood of developing a serious disease after a possible bite increases - due to the accumulation of a greater concentration of infection in the body of the pest.
The awakening of tick-borne bloodsuckers occurs gradually and geographically unevenly. The most obvious harbinger of the appearance of pests is a stable temperature above 10 degrees. In warm, sunny areas, parasites can wake up much earlier than the allotted time for a particular area.
Ticks really don’t like too hot or very rainy weather, so during this period of time their activity noticeably decreases.
During a day with favorable weather conditions, the greatest aggressiveness is observed in the morning, from 8 to 11 a.m., and in the evening, from 5 to 8 p.m.
On cloudy days and during warm rain, their ability to attack does not change and remains approximately at the same level as in good weather.
Tick prevention products
There are 3 types of prophylactic agents:
- Repellent (scaring),
- Acaricidal (killing),
- Insecticidal-repellent (combined action - killing and repellent).
Not everything presented in stores is safe. And since we will be applying the drug to ourselves and our clothes, it is very important that it does not harm our health.
We described in detail what substances should be avoided in insect repellents In it you will also find a selection of natural repellents that are suitable for use by the whole family.
Most natural repellents are made with essential oils. They are absolutely harmless for human use, but not at all attractive and even frightening to blood-sucking parasites.
Essential oils for tick prevention:
- tea tree,
- eucalyptus,
- mint,
- lemon
- juniper,
- pink tree,
- thyme,
- grapefruit,
- Texas cedar,
- geranium,
- carnation
- rosemary,
- lavender,
- hit,
- palmarosa.
Most often, one or more of these essential oils can be found in anti-tick formulations. But such a drug can be made at home with your own hands. Based on essential oils, alcohol and water, you will get an excellent spray that will repel not only ticks, but also other parasitic and blood-sucking pests.
Interesting facts about ticks
- The smallest tick is known to reach a size of 0.08 mm. Because of this, this species is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
- 3 adult specimens, each 0.2 mm in size, form a point commensurate with the size of a faintly noticeable point.
- The subfamily of ticks “Argasidae” has the ability of omovampirism, when hungry individuals attack their relatives who were able to get enough blood.
- The tick-borne encephalitis virus, like many other diseases, is transmitted transovarially. This means that an infected tick is able to lay already infected eggs, passing the disease on to future generations of ticks.
- Female ixodid ticks feed much more actively than males. As a result of complete saturation, the individual becomes 150 times larger than its hungry relatives.
- Ticks can lay completely unfertilized eggs, although completely viable larvae are subsequently born from them. This phenomenon is called parthenogenesis, which allows ticks to give birth to offspring without having sexual partners.
- Ticks can live up to 3 years without food, and such a hunger strike does not cause them any harm.
Encephalitis and carriers. Peculiarities
The classification does not divide individual types of encephalitis ticks into one family. This is a viral infection that affects the gray matter of the brain (which is where the neurons are located). As a rule, this disease is carried by ixodid ticks.
According to statistics, 6 out of 100 individuals are infected. Ixodids carry not only encephalitis, but also borelliosis. These infestations are seasonal due to the activity of ticks. Most often this is the spring-summer period.
It is not difficult to distinguish such arachnids. Many people imagine an ixodid tick with an egg-shaped body that points toward the head. These species have their own stage of development, at which individuals that have infected an animal (for example, a dog) are no longer dangerous until the next season. Arthropods try to get enough before laying eggs.
About 650 species are included in the family. Bloodsuckers are found in forests, parks, and near water bodies. In Russia they are found in many places, except arid ones. These animals are even found in Antarctica. They live for 2-3 years, laying more than 10,000 eggs.
Ixodids have a wide variety. The following will be photos of types of mites and a description of their properties:
- Taiga. It is distinguished by a dark brown shield; the female has a red abdomen. It often lives in thickets or bushes. They are carriers of encephalitis. These individuals do not have eyes; they navigate by smell. At the moment, their distribution area has expanded.
- Canine. They carry tularemia and Marseilles fever. This species settles not only in temperate climates, but also in Africa and Asia. Nymphs (larval stage), saturated with blood, can reach 12 mm. So the individual has a size of 4 mm. A dark spot can be seen near the head. More often it can actually be seen on dogs, but there have been cases of parasitism on humans.
- Dermacentor. The chest is white, reminiscent of a dog. It has long legs and can carry fatal diseases. There are its subspecies: brown tick (one of the largest ticks - 4.8 mm in size), pasture tick. Sometimes Dermacentor reticulatus is called meadow.
Armored mite - Oribatida
Armored mite
The oribatid mite has a dark brown body color (0.7-0.9 mm). It is not harmful to humans and agriculture. On the contrary, it helps regulate the decomposition of organic substances and microorganisms living in the soil. The soil becomes loose and favorable for plant growth. The oribatid mite feeds on plant and animal decaying remains.
Types of ticks in animals
Ticks in domestic animals differ in size, morphology and lifestyle. They can be temporary parasites (ixodidae) or permanent, that is, spending their entire life on the host. Ticks that parasitize animals are divided into 2 groups: cutaneous and subcutaneous.
Cutaneous ones include:
- ixodidae;
- psoroptoids;
- Choriptoids;
- otodectoids.
On a note!
Of the subcutaneous species, only two genera parasitize animals: sarcoptoid and demodexoid.
Tracheal mite - Sternostomatracheacolum
Tracheal mite
Tracheal mite is a bird mite, such as parrots, canaries, etc. The parasite is 0.4-0.6 mm in size. The tracheal mite is dangerous because the females lay eggs in the host’s lungs, after which the hatched larvae begin to actively drink blood. The tracheal mite irritates the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, resulting in mucus secretion, coughing, wheezing, and sneezing. The bird can die from suffocation due to severe coughing and dead epithelium in the respiratory organs. The tracheal mite is transmitted from adult birds to chicks during feeding.
What should I do if bitten by a tick
What does a tick look like under the skin of a person? Recognizing a tick is not so easy. If it has already stuck, then a barely noticeable wound will remain on the skin. The bite site is usually itchy, itchy, or inflamed. If you've been outdoors, be sure to take a look at yourself at home.
If you have been bitten by a tick, then you will probably want to know what an encephalitis tick looks like, but this is impossible to do. Infected individuals have no distinctive features in appearance. It is possible to find out whether an individual is infected only through clinical tests. Therefore, it is important to get the parasite alive. You can do this yourself using special tools, but it is still better if you have the opportunity to consult a doctor. If you were unable to get the parasite alive, then a trip to the doctor is mandatory. You will be given a blood test to determine the presence or absence of the disease. Further, depending on the circumstances, you will be prescribed treatment. Ticks also pose a threat to animals. This is especially true for dogs. What does a tick look like on a dog? In fact, the wound is no different from a human bite. But it is even more difficult to detect due to the thick fur of dogs. Always inspect and comb your dog after every walk, this way you will protect it from harmful parasites.
How to protect yourself from encephalitis ticks
If you are traveling to a region or area where encephalitis ticks live, you may want to get vaccinated against this disease in advance. Insurance companies also issue policies for tick bites, which can include a wide range of related services.
Any measures to prevent tick bites also remain relevant - use protective repellents and acaricides, wear closed clothing in the forest, take care of your summer cottage and, if necessary, order treatment from the SES for ticks and other pests. By combining all available methods of protection against encephalitis ticks for a specific situation at once, you can provide yourself with maximum protection.
What does a tick look like?
Ticks are currently represented by 50 thousand species. Of all of them, only 20% appear to be dangerous carriers of severe diseases. But even in this case, there are still not so few of them. Every fifth bite is caused by an infected individual.
What does an encephalitis tick look like? You can often hear the name - encephalitis tick. In fact, there is no such thing. An encephalitis tick is not a representative of the species, but an individual infected with a virus.
This could be any predatory individual. They feed on blood and parasitize warm-blooded creatures. And predatory representatives carry the virus with their saliva. In addition to encephalitis, ticks can also cause you to become infected with other diseases that are just as dangerous. The appearance of a tick with and without a pathogen is no different. You can only find out about the virus through a clinical analysis of the parasite. But most often the carriers of diseases are brown and taiga ticks.
A tick can parasitize a victim for a very long time. The male, after being completely saturated, falls off. But the female uses blood for her brood, so she can last much longer. It doesn't matter how long the tick has been sucking. He can simply bite and the poison has already entered, or he can suck without infecting it.
Feather mite
Feather mite
Feather mites are microscopic – 0.5 mm. Down and feather pillows are an ideal habitat for them. Feather mites are dangerous to humans because they cause allergic reactions, urticaria, bronchial asthma, swelling of the respiratory tract and dermatitis. House mites irritate the epidermis of our skin. You can get rid of them by treating pillows with steam or washing them in hot water. It is best to purchase pillows made from non-natural filling.
Spider mite - Tetranychinae
Spider mites on an orchid
Spider mite on violet
Spider mites on cucumbers
What does a spider mite's web look like?
The body is oval (0.4-0.6 mm). The color of the body depends on the tick's way of life. For example, spider mites on red cucumbers. This red mite settles on the underside of the leaf and sucks the juices from the plant. The red mite settles on cucumbers in large colonies, which leads to the rapid death of the plant. The red mite on flowers also causes no less damage. It is also called flower mite. He enjoys populating indoor plants. For example, the red mite on an orchid reproduces very actively, especially at warm temperatures. Spider mites settle on violets no less than on other flowers. The pubescent leaf is an ideal habitat for it. Spider mites leave a thin web on plants; only those species that have a spinning apparatus are capable of this. Their web does not have any special meaning; it is only a characteristic feature that they inherited from their relatives of spiders.
Gall mite – Eriophyoidea
Gall mite
A leaf with galls damaged by a gall mite
The gall mite has a worm-shaped body (0.1-0.3 mm). It inhabits both cultivated and wild trees, bushes, and shrubs. The gall mite sucks juices from plant leaves, as a result of which photosynthesis and water balance are disrupted, which ultimately leads to deformation and drying of the leaves. Also, small shoots appear on the leaves - galls, in which the gall mite hides and lays eggs. It is necessary to spray the plants with acaricides and insecticides, follow the rules of agricultural technology, and thus the gall mite will no longer harm your plants.
Appearance and classification
Ticks are the oldest invertebrates with a primitive structure. Their miniature body size helps them spread and survive everywhere. Their body is divided into two parts, the border is located closer to the front. Four pairs of legs consist of several segments, the final one is a tarsus, armed with claws and suckers.
Information. Adults have 8 legs, and larvae have 6.
The first pair of appendages, chelicerae or jaws, are characteristic of all arachnids.
They look like pincers and are used for piercing and cutting. The oral apparatus also includes pedipalps, limbs located on the side of the chelicerae. These processes grow together at the base and, together with other parts, form a movable head. There are some differences in the structure of the oral organ, depending on the type of nutrition. In saprophages that eat dead remains, it is gnawing, while in predators and parasites it is piercing-sucking. In representatives of different species, the number of eyes varies from 0 to 5. The body of arthropods can be soft, leathery or covered with a hard shell.
Classification
Most species of mites are predators and saprophages. They live independently and do not need to parasitize other individuals to develop. Scientists divide the Acari subclass into three superorders:
- Harvester ticks (Opilioacaridae) are large terrestrial individuals measuring 1-3 mm in size. There are 25 known species inhabiting the tropics and subtropics. Their head and thoracic region merge into the cephalothorax, delimited from the abdomen. The oral apparatus consists of chelicerae, pedipalps and upper lip. On the back there are three pairs of eyes. Their long legs make them look like harvestmen. Representatives of the family live in the forest, under stones, and in the soil. They feed on solid food, including small arthropods, plant pollen and fungal spores.
- Parasitiformes are a superorder with 12.5 species. This group includes parasites of vertebrates, as well as predators and saprotrophs (individuals that destroy the remains of living beings). Among the most dangerous representatives of the superorder are ixodid and argasid ticks.
- Acarimorphic mites (Acariformes) are the largest group, which includes more than 30 thousand species. Individuals of the family are characterized by the addition of segments throughout life. About half of the group consists of sarcoptiform mites, which parasitize vertebrate animals. They feed on feathers, skin, and hair. Thrombidyphoid mites (almost 22 thousand species) include plant pests and carriers of infectious diseases.
Attention. Diseases transmitted to people and pets by ticks are called acariasis.
Variety of tick species
Which ticks are the most dangerous in the forest?
The most dangerous and widespread tick on all continents is the ixodid tick; you can also hear other names for this species: forest tick, encephalitis tick. Usually the parasite is about a centimeter in size, but when it is full, it can become much larger than its hungry relative and reach 2.5 centimeters.
Many people wonder what a forest tick is and why it is dangerous? As soon as the tick bites through the human skin, an anesthetic is injected, which lasts for several hours. It is for this reason that sensitivity decreases and, accordingly, the tick is difficult to detect immediately. And this is dangerous, since ticks can be carriers of deadly diseases!
This is interesting: only female forest ticks drink blood; they need it in order to lay eggs.
It is also worth special attention that the forest tick does not hunt when the temperature drops to 10 degrees, even if it is night or evening. At the same time, bloodsuckers are afraid of humidity, so they will not attack when there are drops of dew on the grass. When it's hot outside, ticks are active mainly in the evening and at night. The brightest period of mite activity occurs during bud break on the birch tree.
How to deal with forest ticks?
Many people prefer to spend their free time outdoors, in particular in the forest. It is in this case that it is necessary to turn to preventive measures that will help avoid tick bites. What should you do first to combat the parasite?
When going to the forest, you need to dress closed so that the bloodsuckers do not have the opportunity to attack you. It is better to purchase special clothing or equip yourself so that forest ticks do not have access to the skin. Pants should be tucked into shoes and the sleeves should be close to the skin.
Each walk should end with a thorough inspection of all dangerous places. In most cases, ticks are found on the neck, in the armpits, on the inside of the elbow or under the knee.
It is better to purchase a cream or aerosol that will repel ticks, and use it on everything you are going to wear, as well as exposed areas of the skin.
It will be a plus if you wear light-colored outerwear. In this case, the bloodsucker will have less chance of clinging to you, and you will have the advantage of instantly detecting it. The head must be covered, as forest ticks love to crawl under the collar.
Dry places and direct sunlight often avoid the pest. Try to stay away from dense bushes.
If you know that you will need to be in nature for a long period of time over several days, and especially in a place where there is a high probability of encountering forest ticks, get vaccinated.
Danger to humans and animals
A tick bite causes discomfort, but it is not the tick that is dangerous, but the pathogens that the parasite carries. Ticks are capable of transmitting some types of infections from one host to another, because during their lives they bite many: people, animals and birds, among whom there are sick ones. These arthropods do not fly or jump, but sit on grass and bushes. When the victim is nearby, with their outstretched front legs they cling to human clothing or animal fur and can crawl over the body for two hours in search of a suitable place to bite. After its implementation, the bloodsucker injects an anesthetic into the wound, but after some time the affected area may still turn red, swollen, itchy and painful. A tick can stay on a person from several days to 2 weeks. Afterwards, if no one pulls it out, the parasite falls off on its own.
Tick-borne diseases
Ticks transmit pathogens of certain diseases:
- spotted fever;
- tick-borne encephalitis;
- tularemia;
- babesiosis;
- borreliosis (Lyme disease);
- spirochetosis (relapsing fever).
Tick-borne infections in animals
An animal becomes infected not only from a bite, but also when it accidentally swallows an arthropod. Here is a list of possible diseases:
- bartonellosis;
- hepatozoonosis;
- ehrlichiosis;
- borreliosis;
- piroplasmosis.
Chicken mite - Dermanyssus gallinae
Chicken mite
The chicken mite has a dark red body (0.7 mm). This is a parasite that feeds on the blood of domestic and wild birds, and sometimes mammals. The chicken mite lives in wood cracks, bird nests and other places. They leave there only at night to refresh themselves. The chicken mite is dangerous because it can transmit dangerous diseases such as fowl pox virus, piroplasmosis, Newcastle virus and avian cholera. Chicken mites can significantly reduce the egg production of chickens and the quality of chicken meat.
Currant bud mite - Cecidophyopsis ribis
Currant bud mite
Currant mite is white, worm-shaped (0.2 mm). The bud mite is a pest of currants and gooseberries. The bud mite on currants feeds on plant juices. It gets to plants with the help of insects, birds, and wind. The bud mite, overwintering in currant buds, damages them, which leads to deformation and death of the buds. The bud mite on currants can settle up to 8 individuals per bud. To combat it, acaricides are used and the rules of agricultural technology are followed. The bud mite on currants produces five generations per year.
Moose tick - Lipoptenacervi
Moose tick
This is not a tick at all, but a fly, even though it has that name. And this parasite got it because of the similarity of its way of life with ticks. Elk ticks feed primarily on the blood of deer and elk and can lay eggs in their skin. They carry babesiosis and piroplasmosis. The elk tick can also attack a person and feed on his blood, which affects our body. It depends on the person's body size. They are unlikely to attack small children. The elk tick's bite causes itching, redness and a rash on the human body.
Strawberry mite - Phytonemus pallidus
Strawberry mite
The body is oval, translucent, pale yellow (0.1-0.2 mm). The strawberry mite feeds on leaf juices and is located on the underside of the leaf blade. The strawberry mite attacks the plant during the period when its antennae are released. The harm that the strawberry mite causes to strawberries is wilting, drying and dying of leaves. The strawberry mite produces about 7 generations per year. So the scale of its settlement can be quite large.
