Nature is beautiful at any time of the year. But if in winter a person only threatens to freeze, then in the spring-summer period, all kinds of insects are activated. One of the most dangerous are ticks.
Tick activity is high in both spring and summer. As soon as the sun begins to warm the earth and green foliage appears on the trees, they appear everywhere.
Nothing different in this regard, and such large cities as Moscow or St. Petersburg. The period of activity of ticks in the Moscow region begins in the spring, and residents who go out of town en masse should know what a meeting with insects can threaten.
Beware… tick
It's not the ticks themselves that are dangerous, but the diseases they carry. In the Russian Federation, two types of ticks have been recorded that carry such a formidable disease as tick-borne encephalitis.
- Taiga tick, distribution zone - Siberia and the Far East.
- Dog tick, activity zone - the European part of Russia, as well as European countries.
In addition to encephalitis, ticks can carry borreliosis, a dangerous disease for humans.
You can never tell if a tick is infected. They are completelyare no different, and males, females, and even larvae can be carriers of the virus. Insects themselves become infected when they feed on infected animals.
Of course, not all ticks are infected, and even if you get bitten by an insect, you will not necessarily get sick.
If you get bitten
Despite the increasing activity of ticks, in the warm season, an increasing number of people rush to the forests. They are attracted by fresh air, the opportunity to have fun in nature, pick berries and mushrooms.
But such walks can end in a bite. If the tick is infected, the virus immediately enters the human blood directly. Several options are possible here:
- A person is vaccinated in time - in this case, the virus binds and the disease does not occur. The body will do just fine.
- A bitten person will receive antiviral drugs like Interferon in time - the disease is also likely not to develop.
- A person has not been vaccinated, has not sought medical help in time, or has a weak immune system - the disease develops rapidly.
But not everything is so scary. Despite the activity of mites and the massive trips of people into the forest, the presence of the virus does not necessarily lead to the development of the disease. But this does not mean that there is no need to take measures in order to protect yourself from the bites of these insidious insects.
Where ticks live
On the territory of the Russian Federation, ticks can be found everywhere. Where there is a forest, be sure to showcaution. In addition to the Russian Federation, these insects live in the forests of China, as well as in European countries.
It is not for nothing that the activity of ticks is the highest in spring. After all, insects need, in addition to heat, good humidity in terrestrial areas. And, as you know, in spring the soil is most moistened after the winter snow melts.
In addition to moisture, a necessary condition for the life and growth of ticks is the presence of living creatures on which they could feed.
Therefore, the most favorable habitats for them are forest edges, places where ferns grow, banks of water bodies and deciduous forests.
The most important thing for a tick is the presence of tall grass, so cases of bites in the city have recently become more frequent. For insects, it's like there is no forest. If tall grass is present, that is enough for them. And human activity is not a hindrance.
Therefore, be sure to mow lawns, avoid areas with high vegetation and piling up of cut branches.
It is noteworthy that in coniferous forests, and there, as a rule, there is very little grass, ticks do not live. But on the forest slopes, warmed by the sun and with fresh grass, ticks just swarm.
Don't think that while walking through the woods ticks can fall on your head. The highest place that an adult can climb is no more than 1.5 meters. Their usual habitat is grass.
When ticks are active
The season of tick activity begins from the moment when the soil warms up to 6-7 degrees. Therefore, the first cases of bites are recorded even in the month of April.
But most ticks appear in May and June. During this period, you should be especially careful and refrain from hiking in the forest or take all necessary precautions.
Then comes a period when the activity of ticks subsides, and, accordingly, the number of victims of bites. This period falls on hot July and early August.
But then, closer to autumn, ticks appear again. The season of activity, the so-called secondary, falls at the end of August and warm September.
Be that as it may, as soon as the soil temperature drops below 5 degrees, the mites disappear, fall into the so-called hibernation until the next season.
Tick activity will resume with renewed vigor next spring, as soon as the warm spring sun begins to warm. And so on in a circle.
How dangerous is a tick bite
Ticks are not all infected with dangerous viruses. But even if the insect is not a carrier of the disease, a bite can cause irritation or an allergic reaction. Therefore, it is clear that this is best avoided.
But it is the infected ticks that are especially dangerous. And not necessarily it will be tick-borne encephalitis. Scientists examined this problem and found that more than 60 types of diseases can be infected.
The danger is that the person may forget about the biting incident and decide that everything worked out. But the reaction may appear after two weeks.
But, despite all the dangers, the main reason for the fear of ticks is tick-borne encephalitis.
Insidious encephalitis
For those who are not particularly knowledgeable in medical terms, this is inflammation of the brain. Often fatal.
If a person is bitten by a tick, then just by examining it, it is impossible to understand whether it is infected. When does tick activity start? Points for receiving insects for examination are beginning to open.
Therefore, if a tick bites, you should take it to a collection point that operate in local sanitary and epidemiological stations. Only there they will be able to conduct a special analysis and determine whether the tick is infected.
You have three days to see a doctor and inject immunoglobulin. Of course, it cannot be said that now you will definitely not get sick. But the fact that the disease will pass in a mild form and there will be no death, that's for sure.
Get vaccinated
Tip for those whose lifestyle is often associated with being in forests and places with thick grass: get vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis.
Vaccination is necessary when ticks have completely disappeared, the season of activity has passed and autumn has come. As a rule, vaccinations can be done from November.
Vaccination can also be done in the summer. In this case, calculate the time from the moment of vaccination to possible contact with insects at least 21 days.
Be especially careful where ticks gather during antibody production.
Methods of protection. Clothes
Correctly selected clothes- a very effective means of protection against bites not only of ticks, but also of other, no less dangerous insects.
Choose smooth, lint-free materials. It is difficult for a tick to catch on such clothes. Be sure to wear a long sleeve shirt and tuck it into your pants.
Pants must be tucked into shoes or socks. It is advisable to have a hat.
After walking in the woods, shake out all the clothes over the bath and wash.
Special tools
In addition to properly selected clothes, you should use special means from bites. They are available in three types:
- Repellents - can repel insects.
- Acaricides - insects die.
- Insecticide-repellants - mixed action.
But before choosing something, make sure that you do not have allergic reactions to the substances included in the products.
Sprays should only be applied to clothes on a hanger and allowed to dry. You can dress in a few minutes.
Acaricidal agents are able to retain their properties for a long time. But be aware that rain and wind reduce the duration.
What else can you do
In addition to the measures taken, do not forget to periodically inspect clothes while in the forest. Coming home, the skin should be carefully examined.
It happens that a tick, once on the body, does not bite a person. And if the insect is detected in time, then the bite can be avoided.
It is noteworthy to notice how you were bitten by a tick,not so easy. This happens almost imperceptibly. A person does not feel pain and discomfort, as, for example, from a mosquito bite.
So as soon as you spot a tick, remove it immediately. The sooner this happens, the less chance of infection.
Correctly remove the tick
If a tick has stuck to a person, it is urgent to remove it. But you need to do this with any antiseptic on hand.
Never crush the insect. Otherwise, it threatens the spread of tick viruses in human blood.
Of course, it is advisable to consult a doctor for proper extraction. But those who are confident in their abilities or are far from medical stations should follow certain instructions:
- Treat the bite site and hands with any disinfectant.
- If you have oil on hand, treat the wound with it. Thus, the insect is blocked from oxygen, and it will crawl out on its own.
- It is possible to use kerosene or a melted drop of a wax candle. These methods allow you to force the insect to leave the cozy nest, which he justified on human skin.
- A good extractor is sold in pharmacies. These are special tweezers that grab the tick and pull it out of the wound by twisting it.
Do not lower your head during the procedure, otherwise the tick may inject a poisonous liquid into your eyes.
If the head of the tick remains under the skin, be sure to remove it. Put the insect insealed container and take it to a special point for virus testing.
If you follow all the recommendations, walking through the forest will bring only positive emotions. But still, when tick activity ends, make a preventive vaccine, and the next year you will be fully armed.
