In recent times people complain about tick bites.And well, if this arthropod attack without consequences.But it often happens that a person becomes infected with a serious disease, so the mites are treated with caution.And if you suddenly happen to become a victim of these insects, immediately seek medical attention.It is important to know the habitat of ticks, as well as ways to protect against them.
Bloodsuckers in nature
fauna in the world there are at least 40,000 species of mites, among which there are poorly understood, and there are new groups.Therefore, they are among the most diverse family of arthropods that ever lived on our planet.
In nature they eat soil fungi, plant remains and small arthropods.Some of the mites have adapted to feed on animal blood.They are called parasites.The best known of these ticks, numbering 680 species.Habitat ticks Ixodes group is on every continent, including Antarctica.
more dangerous stings arthropods
Parasites Ixodes species are carriers of human diseases:
- tick-borne encephalitis;
- tick-borne spotted fever;
- tularemia;
- Lyme borreliosis (Lyme disease);
- Q fever;
- tick-borne relapsing fever;
- ehrlichiosis;
- haemorrhagic fever.
Among the carriers of these diseases of particular epidemiological significance are two types of ticks: the taiga, and European forest.They are giants among the variety of types.
when mites appear
Start activity adults occurs when the soil warms up to 5-7 degrees above zero, most of this period falls on the beginning or middle of April, depending on weather.The number of ticks begins to increase rapidly, reaching a maximum by the end of May, remaining high until mid - late June.Again, depending on weather conditions.Reserve nutrients depleted by then, and mites are beginning to die out rapidly.Still, some individuals may occur even before the end of September.
attackers
ticks lie in wait for their prey Parasites, being on the grass or sitting on the branches or sticks protruding upward.Having the information about which prefer habitats of ticks, can avoid their attacks.They are not very mobile and a lifetime overcoming a distance not exceeding 10 meters.
When the prey approaching, mites take a waiting stance: as the front legs olfactory organs are located, they pull them and drive them from side to side, determining the direction of the source of the odor.The moment passes by when a person or animal, bloodsuckers rastopyrivat its front legs equipped with claws and suckers, and cling to the victim.
What happens after the attack
Pick up a "master", the parasites are looking for the most sensitive spot.It takes sometimes up to 40 minutes.Therefore, even if the tick is already on a person, it can be detected and removed before sucking.Getting on clothing, arthropods start looking for access to the body, for what they crawl into the pockets and seams.As for the man, mites usually prefer to be localized in the scalp, around the ears, the neck, armpits, chest, back and groin.Animals often they bite in the neck or the head, where it is difficult to get teeth.
If the tick bite is injected painkillers.Therefore, the victim may not even feel that she was attacked.
Finding a place for food, mites pierce the skin with their proboscis, reaching the blood vessels begin to suck blood.The first portion of saliva, which sticks to the skin mouthparts, and directed back teeth on the proboscis helps secure our position in the selected position.
females absorb the blood of about 6 days, while the male for food takes a lot less time.The volume of mites increase to the size of a phalanx of the little finger and the weight becomes a hundred times more than it was before the suction.
What to do if bitten by a tick?
Upon detection of the stuck on the body of the parasite must first go to the hospital.The sooner this is done, the less likely to be ill tick-borne encephalitis.If you can not see a doctor immediately after the bite, then you need to manually remove the glaring bloodsucker.
Never squeeze the tick, as if it break the infection quickly penetrate into the blood, and in this case, the disease can not be avoided.To remove the parasite, there are several methods.The most effective - to take a string and as close as possible to the proboscis bloodsucker tie the knot, and then slowly pull the rotary movements tick upward.You can not do it abruptly, as it may come off the head and remain under the skin.If this happens, you must treat the bite with alcohol and sterile needle to remove the head, like a splinter.
After the tick has been removed, the wound to be treated with alcohol or iodine.A parasite put in a jar and bring them to the laboratory for microscopic diagnosis.Important: the destination it should be taken alive, experts were able to examine it.
Preventing tick bites
To avoid the attack of parasites, you need to follow some simple guidelines when hiking in the woods and other potential habitats of ticks.Clothing should be light, since it is easier to see all the parasites.Long sleeves and hood (or headgear) - are required.You can not wear shorts and bare parts of the body need to tuck pants into socks.Shoes should also be closed.
every 10-15 minutes should be inspected clothing.After the typical habitats of ticks have been abandoned, it is necessary to conduct a thorough check on the presence of parasites on the body.Shake out clothes on the street, hair carefully combed, inspect the neck, armpits, ears and groin.These are the places most appropriate to suction blood-suckers, because the skin there is thin and delicate.
Habitats ticks in the world
Parasites that carry encephalitis, spread virtually throughout Eurasia, but most of them in the southern part of it covered by forest.Ticks like moisture, because of this, their number is highest in well-watered areas.It may be deciduous or mixed forests.And moderately shaded areas, moist or thick grass.
also parasites are found in forested ravines, forest edges, on the banks of forest streams, or on the grassy forest paths.Most popular habitat of ticks - forest track, which stretches along the sides overgrown with grass.It is not necessary to hope that the grasslands and river valleys were left without these parasites.There they also abound.
There is a misconception that the trees, such as birch, can attack the tick encephalitis.Location data we have already discussed it, will not be repeated.Yes, the parasites are found in birch forests, but they can not jump.Getting on human mite crawls up the clothes, and often find it already on his head.Therefore, it seems that it fell from above.
Finally discuss where in our country often "trades" this parasite.Habitats of ticks in Russia - is the European part, Siberia and the Far East.Percentage of encephalitic animals in different regions is different.Thus, for example, in European their recorded only a few percent of the total mite population.
