Are ticks dangerous in autumn or not?

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:43

Probably everyone already knows that in late spring and early summer in nature there is a massive activity of ticks. It is dangerous to visit the forest without a headdress and closed clothing. But how do ticks behave in the fall? Is it possible to be absolutely calm at this time of the year, walking outside the city? It seems that we only dream of peace. Because…

Ticks are dangerous in autumn

Yes, it really is! But after all, the autumn time is so long, is it really necessary to be afraid of these small malicious parasites for all three months? No, ticks are only active in September and early October.

I.e. if you decide to breathe fresh forest air on a warm September day, then safety measures must be taken. Why this is necessary to do, it will become clearer if you read about the periods of activity of dangerous blood-sucking insects. Alas, ticks in autumn are not fiction, but a cruel reality.

When the enemy is on the alert

Forest ticks have not one active period a year, but two. Spring begins when the air temperature reaches approximately +10°C. When this happens, the parasites, hungry during hibernation, come out to hunt. By the way, unlike mosquitoes, the males of which do not feed on blood, in ticks both females and males are blood-sucking.

Only the first ones need much more time to get enough. Their hunting for warm-blooded creatures goes from about the end of April to mid-June. Well, then follows a period of diapause, after which, at the end of August, the parasites again go on the attack. This disgrace can last until mid-October. The time frame here largely depends on how warm the autumn season turned out to be. Ticks in autumn behave in exactly the same way as in spring, they simply do not know how to do it differently. The second period of activity is somewhat weaker than the first, but this does not make it less dangerous for people and animals.

Where can we expect an attack from?

For some reason, it is widely believed that ticks should be expected from somewhere above the trees. Perhaps this can also happen, but only as an exception to the general rule. Scientists say that these insects live in grass and bushes, and not on trees. Those. ticks in autumn can easily get on your clothes not from above, but from below and then slowly crawl up, looking for your most vulnerable spot. Parasites like delicate skin, so their favorite places are: on the neck, behind the ears, under the breasts, etc. By the way, they always crawl from the bottom up, and not vice versa.

Ticks are most common near rivers and streams, because datablood-sucking, like their counterparts - mosquitoes, are very moisture-loving. And also a favorite place for the deployment of ticks - in the grass near the forest trails and paths. They have a downright diabolical instinct, and they catch the smell of people and animals for 10-15 meters. The tick is able to move in the air along with gusts of wind, i.e. it costs him nothing to overcome this distance almost instantly.

If you couldn't avoid the bite

You shouldn't find out if ticks are dangerous in autumn by experimenting with your own he alth. In the event that you, having come from a walk, found a parasite attached to your body, do not wait until it drinks blood and falls off on its own. It is better to take tweezers and grab the body of the insect with it, as close as possible to the point of contact with the skin. The tweezers must be held at a right angle and the parasite removed with rotational movements. It is necessary to act carefully, because. it is very important to pull out the whole tick, without leaving its head or proboscis in the wound. The remaining particles can cause inflammation and suppuration. Do not try to drip oil and other substances on the insect in the hope that it will crawl out on its own. This is unlikely to happen, just waste your time.

After the tick has been removed, the bite site must be treated with iodine, alcohol or vodka. Of course, the best thing you can do after you have been bitten is to seek qualified medical help. institution. And it would be good to take the tick to the laboratory in order to find out if it is a carrier of encephalitis.

Precautions

Now that we are exactlywe know if there are ticks in the forest in autumn, let's talk a little about what you can do for your own safety. There is nothing difficult or complicated here. Your clothes must be closed. Long trousers tucked into boots or socks, a shirt with sleeves are suitable equipment for forest walks in a dangerous period. After returning home, before taking off your things, be sure to carefully inspect them and only then undress.