Where the tick is found - on trees, in the grass, in the field, in the park

Glad to welcome you to my blog! There are not so many warm days ahead that you can spend in nature. Once again, I remind you that you need to choose places for rest wisely so as not to return from a walk with unpleasant "surprises."

I propose today to talk about where ticks are found in order to learn how to avoid such places. Ticks are quite capricious in choosing places where they are waiting for their victims, so it will not be difficult for you to choose a place where you can relax without any danger. Details are in my article!

Where the tick is found - on trees

Many people think that ticks are jumping from trees growing near a path in the forest. But this is not so. They don’t even know how to jump. Ticks usually sit in tall grass along the edges of trails, spreading chains of paws to the sides, and cling to the trousers of casual passers-by or riding a bicycle.

Ticks are found more in deciduous forests, at the edges, near rivers. They love dark and humid places with tall grass. Ticks are most active in good weather: when the sun is shining, it is dry and warm. Ticks await cloudy weather in forest litter.

When the tick clings, it begins to creep up. The tick clings so well that it does not fall down even if you race along the bumps on a mountain bike.

The most delicious places on the body for them are soft and thin skin. Therefore, they are most often found in the groin, behind the ears, on the neck and armpits. By the way, because of this, people also believe that ticks jump from trees - they are found closer to the head.

I’m not talking about a bicycle helmet, since this, of course, is a mandatory attribute of forest pokatushek. Sleeves should be long, with elastic cuffs.

Try to wear light clothes in the forest, ticks are dark and it will be easier to notice them. And open the skin with a repellent.

No need to fill the tick with oil, as many people think. It is necessary to attach a piece of ice to the bite site and it will begin to creep out. It is better to remove the tick not with tweezers (you can tear), but with your fingers, grasping as close to the skin as possible.

Then sharply pull forward and upward, at an angle of about 45 degrees to the skin. Look for parts left in the wound and treat with alcohol or iodine.

Therefore, when the tick is on the body, it is necessary not to crush it and not to throw it away, but to put it in a damp cloth and take it to the hospital to check whether it is an encephalitis carrier. And you need to do this as soon as possible.

Do not wait a day. You should be especially careful, because it is also possible to become infected through microcracks on the fingers. It is best, of course, to get vaccinated in advance.

There is another disease, the same dangerous and with the same symptoms, transmitted through a tick bite. Lyme disease, cases of manifestation of which were first noted in the United States district of the same name.

And one fine day you will have an exacerbation in the form of ischemia or nervous diseases. Who then remembers the flu after a tick bite? And the treatment will be wrong. This disease can be treated with antibiotics.

Ticks are active from April to October, and in May and June you should be especially vigilant, deciding to ride in the forest.

In which forest do ticks live?

Ticks are the inhabitants of the forest. They live in forest litter formed by fallen leaves and grass. The more powerful the litter layer, the better it warms up (but does not dry out), the more favorable are the conditions for the development and life of ticks.

They are found, as a rule, in small-leaved and deciduous-coniferous forests in which birch, aspen, gray alder, bird cherry, mountain ash, willow, as well as pine and spruce grow. Such forests are sufficiently lightened, and forest litter warms up well.

A necessary condition for the life of ticks in a particular forest is sufficient moisture in the soil and forest litter. Waterlogged or excessively dry forest areas are unfavorable for their habitat. Therefore, there are no ticks in the swamp forests and sphanga mosses.

Of no small importance in the distribution of ticks is the relief. In places of exposure of rocks or accumulations of glacial sediments, they do not find conditions for development and existence.

Also not found in fields and meadows. Ticks live only in forest litter, under favorable conditions of temperature and relative humidity necessary for their habitat and development.

In winter, ticks remain in the litter. Under snow, the temperature in the litter does not drop below 0 °. Thanks to this, ticks adapted to wintering in the climatic conditions of the north.

Ticks are called lurking pasture parasites. They attack from grass, small bushes, less often - from the ground. According to our observations, in Karelia ticks do not rise above 50 cm.

Most often, in early spring, they are located on plants at the very surface of the earth. This is the basis for the method of catching them in nature on a flag, drag.

For this purpose, use fabric (flannel, bike, waffle) 1.1 m long and 0.45 m wide, mounted on a long stick either as a flag or as a drag on a short stick with a rope.With their help, terrestrial plants, low bushes are enveloped and then the attached ticks are collected.

In this way ticks are caught for scientific purposes, but ticks can be collected with a drag or flag in the pioneer camp, the summer cottage area and around it. All ticks that can be collected by a drag drag must be burned.

On plants, the tick is located so that the front pair of limbs can freely stretch forward when approaching a potential host. This is the so-called waiting pose.

Where ticks live and where encephalitis ticks live

With the onset of warmth, many people are chosen by families or friends in a park, forest. A pleasant pastime can be spoiled by a tick bite, which often leads to the development of a dangerous disease.

In nature, there are hundreds of species of ticks, of which ixodid ticks are the most dangerous for humans. To minimize the likelihood of meeting this bloodsucker, you need to know the habitats of ticks, their habits and ways to protect against them.

Where the encephalitis tick lives

Of all species, only ixodid ticks choose human, bird, warm-blooded animals as food. This is a small arachnid, in a hungry state, not exceeding a few millimeters.

When fed, the size of the tick increases, and the female is usually larger than the male. Dangerous diseases, such as encephalitis and borreliosis, carry two types of ticks: European forest and taiga.

Also, ticks do not remain on trampled glades or paved areas. The type of forest for the ixodid tick practically does not matter; they are found in spruce, and in birch, and in mixed forests. They do not like only coniferous forest.

Encephalitic ticks live on pastures, meadows, on roadsides, and even in urban squares and parks; their habitat in Russia is not limited only to forests.

What weather and climate do ticks like

Ixodides live on almost all continents and in almost all climatic zones. They are found even beyond the Arctic Circle, which indicates their high adaptability to the most extreme living conditions.

The largest number of species of ticks is found in tropical and subtropical forests, they love and look for places with high humidity, multi-tiered vegetation and a large number of prey-feeders. In temperate climates, ticks are also widespread.

The risk of catching hemorrhagic fever through a bite is high in the Caucasus, in the Volgograd and Rostov regions.

Virus encephalitis in Russia is transmitted by ticks mainly in the following areas: the Far East, Karelia, most regions of the Central District, the North-Western District, and the Volga Region. Outdoor enthusiasts run the risk of encountering a parasite in such places:

• on forest trails;
• on well warmed up and humid forest edges and clearings;
• on pastures;
• on the banks of rivers and streams;
• in the thickets of fern;
• in city parks;
• in the country, in the garden.

The ticks' favorite weather is wet and warm. A particularly favorable time for their reproduction is a protracted spring, warm and rainy summers. On a dry and hot day, meeting with a tick is unlikely.Bloodsucker does not tolerate direct sunlight.

Where to wait for the attack

Ticks need breadwinners for existence. Therefore, they are located exactly where many people and animals pass. They climb to the very top of a bush or blade of grass and wait for their prey.

Passing along forest roads or through coastal thickets, do not touch or touch low hanging branches, bushes and tall grass with your hands. Do not sit on a bed of leaves or branches.

Moving them from side to side, the tick understands which side the victim is approaching, and tries to grab hold of it. Thanks to special hooks and suction cups at the end of the legs, the tick firmly clings to everything that it touches. Most often, the parasite makes its way to the person by the scruff of the neck and sticks to the neck or head.

A person does not feel a bite, because together with his saliva a tick injects a substance with anesthetic effect into the bite site.

Then he sticks the proboscis under the victim’s skin and begins to suck blood. The special cementing properties of saliva firmly fix it in this position. When saturated, the tick disappears.

A well-fed tick increases in size to a centimeter. Among the total number of ixodid ticks, about 5% of individuals are carriers of dangerous diseases. They can cause the following serious illnesses:

1. tick-borne encephalitis - a disease dangerous to human life;
2. borreliosis - a bacterial disease, in the absence of timely treatment leading to irreversible brain changes and death;
3. pyroplasmosis - a disease of domestic animals transmitted through tick bites;
4. hemarrhagic fever.

Where ticks hide in winter

In winter, ticks are inactive and hide in dry forest litter, on pastures, in cows with livestock. When the earth begins to warm up in the spring sun, the parasites awaken from hibernation.

With the advent of the first thawed patches they go upstairs and begin to look for a “master." The first attempts to suck the tick makes already in late March - early April. Precautions should be taken from now on. In early spring, night frosts inhibit tick activity.

The periods of activity of ticks depend on the climatic characteristics in the habitats. In some areas they attack as soon as the air warms up to 3 degrees (for example, in Karelia).

In others, their activity begins with the onset of 15-degree heat. Ticks are found in different zones of Russia from the beginning of April to the end of September. It happened that on hunting dogs parasites were found in October and even in November.

Can ticks live on trees and fall from them

Many people are afraid in the season of activity of ticks to be under the trees. They believe that ticks are found on trees and fall from them per person.

This is actually not the case. Ticks do not climb trees; it is too high for them. The maximum height of bushes and thickets of grass, where they climb in search of a victim, is one and a half meters. Only adults can climb to this height. It is they who prey on people and large animals.

Larvae and nymphs of ticks at a small height from the ground guard small mammals and rodents. However, ticks can hide on the stumps of felled trees. Therefore, you should not sit on them during forest walks.

Can ticks live in a house

It happens that after a walk, dogs or cats bring bloodsucking parasites to their house in their hair.Often, the person himself imperceptibly brings them into the house along with bouquets of forest flowers, with berries or mushrooms.

In an apartment where there is no plant litter, their eggs will not develop. On a cat or dog, ticks cannot reproduce and live fully. Nevertheless, you should carefully examine yourself and your companions after each outing in nature, so as not to bring parasites into an apartment or private house.

Protect yourself and loved ones from parasites

To protect yourself in nature from the bites of potential carriers of diseases, you need to dress properly. Shirt, pants, cuffs - everything should fit snugly to the body.

It is recommended to protect the head and neck with a hood. Clothing should be light and plain so that the tick can be easily detected during inspection. The use of special repellents, for example Mosquitol from ticks, will help prevent a parasite bite.

Tick ​​locations

Ticks are considered the largest group of arachnids. The breeding ground where ticks live for most species is plant debris, soil fungi, and small arthropods.

For human health, ixodid ticks are dangerous, they carry infectious diseases. After an insect bite, infection occurs:

• tick-borne encephalitis;
• Lyme disease (borreliosis);
• hemorrhagic fever;
• ehrlichnosis;
• spot and return tick-borne typhus.

Favorite Tick Habitats

The tick habitat is a place remote from noise with an abundance of shrubs. Ticks prefer to settle in wet places:

1. shaded areas of deciduous or mixed forests, overgrown with grass or undergrowth;
2. lowlands of hollows and forest ravines, fringes, overgrown with grass;
3. meadows and thickets on the banks of the stream also attract ticks.

Predators move to green thickets and wait for their prey. They can choose meadows and shrubs, clearings and forest edges.

Most ticks occur in well-humid and moderately shady places - among deciduous trees, in ravines, dense grass, young aspen, hazel and raspberry. If there is a body of water, they will lurk in the coastal thickets.

Bloodsucking insects like to settle on fallen trees and stumps. If you feel tired during the trip, think about whether to take a chance and sit down to rest.

In search of food, ticks are distributed on the stems and leaves of the vegetation along the paths. They come to the smell of travelers and animals moving through the forest.

Helps to orient ticks strong sense of touch and sense of smell. Ticks have no eyes, but they can recognize the smell of their potential victim in ten meters.

With the advent of spring and the first thaws, female ticks awaken and go hunting. To ensure the maturation of eggs and the development of offspring, they need high-calorie nutrition with the blood of people or animals.

The danger of hiking

In characteristic natural landscapes, the largest number of parasites is observed from the last ten days of April to July. During this period, the risk of damage to a person or animal is high. Then the number of parasites is reduced due to depletion of nutrient reserves, but the danger of a bite persists until early October.

Tick ​​activity increases in the morning and evening hours.In the midday heat and when it rains, bloodsuckers rarely hit their prey.

Lowlands, covered with grass, overgrown with deadwood, an array of shrubs with a humid environment and exposure to the sun become a haven for ticks, where they actively breed.

Ticks do not distinguish the type of forest; it is important for them to find a favorable habitat. In the dense thickets of pine forests rodents live, on them are the larvae of ticks to a transition state to an adult insect.

Natural orderlies and exterminators of ticks are ants. Therefore, ticks do not exist at the locations of anthills. Ants eat ticks, they only need to emerge from the larva.

The increase in infections is associated with the propagation of rodents in cities that settle in garbage and landfills. And tick infection comes from them.

How parasites behave

Ticks are characterized by low mobility. Over the entire period of their life, they move no more than 10-15 meters. In anticipation of prey, they sit on the edges of blades of grass, twigs, leaves. They are located at a height of up to 1.5 m.

Settling near the path, ticks are in active expectation. They extend the front legs and guide them from side to side. It is on the forelegs that the organs that smell are located (Haller organs). In this way, the tick captures the direction from which the smell is heard and is preparing for an attack.

Meeting parasites is not difficult. Sitting on the body of the animal, the parasite begins to look for a place for a bite. Most often this is the area of ​​the neck or head.

A tick penetrates the proboscis into the skin and plunges to the subcutaneous vessels with blood. To gain a foothold in the bite site to suck blood, the serrated surface of the proboscis and the special composition of saliva help it, it instantly hardens and adheres the tick to the skin.

Security measures

We must not forget about safety even during short walks. It is important to remember that ticks do not know how to move down, they only creep up. Given this rule, you need to select equipment:

• clothing must be tight-fitting with a long sleeve, in bright colors;
• the head must be protected with a hood or hat;
• trousers should be tucked into shoes or socks, and a jacket should be worn with tight cuffs;
• the t-shirt must also be tucked in;
• in the absence of cuffs, tourists use elastic bands, pulling them on the sleeves and legs.

Where ticks live: species and distribution

Ticks belong to the largest group of arachnids, numbering more than 40 thousand species. The most dangerous of them are ixodic, which can be carriers of serious infectious diseases.

It is in order to reduce the likelihood of encountering such a parasite and the risk of infection that all people should know where ticks live and during which period they are most dangerous.

Forest ticks are small, reaching a length of 2-5 mm in a hungry state. Such arachnids belong to a subclass of arthropods and live almost throughout the world, except for Antarctica.

In nature, their diet consists of plant debris, soil fungi and small arthropods, but they also like to drink the blood of animals and people. There are other types of such parasites:

1. gamazovye, redskins and argas ticks, which are also able to consume human and mammalian blood;
2. dust mites (saprophytes), whose life passes in residential premises with people, prefer to eat dead particles of the epidermis;
3. subcutaneous (demodexes) - live in the upper layer of the human epidermis and at the base of hair follicles, they are of the smallest size, so you can only see them under a microscope.

Ixodid tick habitats

Optimal conditions for life, where ticks are found: regions with high humidity, at least 80%; slopes warmed by the sun with dense grass and bushes up to 1 m high; main habitat of ticks:

• forest edges, clearings, ravines with dense grass;
• in the shade of deciduous trees, fern thickets, among small young trees (aspen, hazel, etc.);
• most often parasites live in coastal thickets near rivers, ponds, lakes and streams, where forest animals come to a watering place;
• soil surface with fallen leaves or mowed grass.

"Bloodsuckers" can settle on stumps and fallen dry trees, so a tourist should think carefully before sitting down to rest in the forest for the first stump. The most unsuitable places for ticks to live: elevations, areas without grass and plants, dry undergrowth in a pine forest, etc.

Types of ixodid ticks: in which forests live

Among the family of ixodic parasites, there are some species that select different habitat zones:

1. Meadow ticks of the genus Dermacentor - carriers of many viral infections can infect humans and even pets (pyroplasmosis in dogs). Distributed in deciduous and mixed forests of Europe and Siberia, they prefer glades, forest edges, meadows and pastures, water meadows.
2. The genus Hyalomma and its representatives prefer to settle in the steppe zone, live in the southern regions of Russia, Crimea, Bulgaria and on the Mediterranean coast, in Asian countries. They can spread hemorrhagic fever.
3. Birch mites belonging to the Haemaphysalis family are moisture- and heat-loving parasites, their habitat: Crimea, Transcaucasia and the Far East, Altai, southern Western Siberia and Transbaikalia. They settle in birch-deciduous, coniferous-deciduous, in aspen and birch forests. May be carriers of encephalitis and ricketstosis.
4. The brown dog tick of the genus Rhipicephalus prefers coastal areas with high humidity: the Black Sea coast. The object of his attack is often dogs, but the spread of dog ticks is very fast because of their ability to breed in a person’s home or dog kennel, where they can arrange whole colonies. They are carriers of Marseilles fever.

Hunting season "bloodsuckers"

The period of parasite activity begins when the soil warms up to + 5- + 7 ° С, which occurs in central Russia in April, when the first greens appear and buds open on birches.

Waking up after winter, they crawl to the surface. Ticks are located on trees, in grass, shrubs. Their number sharply increases by the second half of May and remains as high as possible until the end of June. Activity depends on temperature and weather conditions, humidity.

They do not like hot and dry air, so they go hunting in the morning and evening hours. On hot days, they are located in the damp grass, with cloudy weather looking for places drier.

An autumn outburst of activity, during which ticks try to get enough before wintering, begins in September and lasts until the first days of November, when cold weather sets in.

Hunting process

Forest ticks live in grass or trees, climbing to small heights and tracking down their prey. With the help of the paws on which the organs of smell are located, they sniff the surrounding air. The smell of sweat of an animal or a person walking along a path, they are able to smell from a distance of 10-12 m.

Some mistakenly believe that such parasites fall from trees in the forest on passing tourists. However, in reality they are not able to climb a large distance from the ground, usually ticks can be at a height of 0.5-1 m. When approaching the "prey", they move to it, clinging tightly to the hooks and suction cups.

Both males and females go hunting, and the latter are more voracious, because for them the blood of mammals is not just food, but also affects the possibility of successful breeding.

Males dig into the skin, drink blood, and then quickly fall, so a person may not notice them. But the females, sucking very tightly, sit and absorb blood for many hours and days. When piercing the skin, the tick secretes anesthetic saliva, which glues the proboscis to the wound for better attachment.

Are there ticks in the city

The common belief that city dwellers may not be afraid of tick bites is refuted by scientists and statistics on injured people.

In every village and even a large metropolis there are park areas, squares and grassed areas. It is in such places that ticks live in the summer.

However, unlike forest ticks, in large cities there are practically no individuals infected with viral infections.

But in small settlements where green areas are located near forests, fields with cattle or summer cottages, ticks can be picked up almost on the road or next to the lawn, and there is little danger from them, but still exists.

Why are ticks and their bites dangerous?

Among the ixodid species living in the Russian Federation, 2 species are dangerous for humans:

• European forest, distributed in Europe, except for the northernmost regions, in North Africa and the European part of Russia;
• taiga tick, the habitat of which is in the middle and southern taiga zones.

These parasites are carriers of dangerous infectious diseases: viral encephalitis, Lyme disease or borreliosis, ehrlichiosis, some types of fevers. However, this does not mean that every bitten tick can infect a person.

According to statistics, the percentage of "bloodsuckers" who carry infections is only 1.5-5%. However, it is impossible to distinguish a healthy tick from an infected one, and because of the long incubation period of such diseases, the first symptoms of the disease can appear only after 5-14 days. Regions with the most ticks having a high risk of disease:

1. Borreliosis - Moscow and Moscow Region, Krasnodar Territory;
2. dangerous areas regarding encephalitis - North-West of the Russian Federation, the Volga region, Karelia, the region of the Central District, the Far East, most cases are registered in Vladivostok and the region;
3. hemorrhagic fever - Volgograd, Rostov region, Caucasus.

According to Rospotrebnadzor, this year you can find regions where there are no encephalitis ticks in Russia. These are the central regions of the European part, including Moscow, Tula, Kursk, Oryol, Ryazan, Smolensk, Lipetsk, Tambov, Murmansk regions, the Southern and North Caucasian federal districts, Magadan region, Kamchatka Territory, Yakutia and Chukotka.

How tick infections spread

Ixodid ticks become carriers of infections after their larvae or nymphs drink blood from wild animals (small rodents, etc.), which are carriers of serious diseases.

The encephalitis virus, first getting into the stomach of a parasite from a sick rodent or other mammals, spreads throughout the body and accumulates in the salivary glands and eggs.

You should also know that one and the same parasite can be a carrier of several infectious diseases that fall to a person as a result of his bite.

Safety and tick protection measures

When going for a picnic or a walk in the forest, where ticks can be found, it should be remembered that they are able to crawl only in the direction from the bottom up, and select the appropriate equipment:

• clothes are worn light, as closed with long sleeves;
• trousers should be tucked into socks or shoes, cuffs should fit tightly on the hands so that the parasites could not creep closer to the body;
• they put a hood or a protective headdress on their heads: although the mites do not fall from the trees, they can live there for a while, falling on the hair while tilting the body or sitting, and then go down to the neck and suck in to absorb blood;
• use repellents to treat clothes that repel parasites by smell;
• avoid glades in the forest with tall grass, shrubs, fallen trees and stumps;
• choose a place for a picnic where there are no ticks: with low dry grass, in a pine forest without undergrowth, etc. after returning home, you should carefully examine all clothing and skin for parasites.

Information about where ticks can live and how they get on human skin will be useful for all people who are going for a walk in a forest or park, to a summer house or picnic. Compliance with all safety rules will help to avoid the attack of "bloodsuckers" and possible infection with serious infectious diseases.

Where ticks are found, frequent habitats

With the advent of summer, many abandon stuffy cities and often go out into the countryside. But not only a person during this period leads a more active lifestyle, but also parasites that can not only spoil the rest, but also cause considerable harm to health. Therefore, it is important to know where ticks live, what they eat and how to protect themselves from them.

Why beware of ticks

In appearance, small and harmless ticks annually bring many problems to people and animals. Today there are more than 50 thousand varieties.

Some of them are completely safe, while others are carriers of deadly diseases. It is because of this that they should be feared. Representatives of the ixodic group are most dangerous to humans.

They are carriers of diseases such as typhoid, encephalitis, borreliosis, fever and other equally dangerous diseases. But in the case of other parasites, do not wait for good. They can spoil food supplies, penetrate the skin and live there for years.

Where are the ticks

Ticks are found everywhere. You can’t hide from them even in the harsh Antarctica. They take root in cold climatic conditions. This is one of the oldest species of arachnids existing on earth since time immemorial. Their adaptability can surprise.

But still there are places where ticks like to be most of all, and there are those where there are few chances to meet them.A tick is a secretive and treacherous creature.

The forest also suits anyone: it makes no difference whether the birch grove or the spruce forest. In this case, only pine forests will be the exception. This smell is not like ticks.

Animal flocks are just a tick paradise. Therefore, meadows and fields for grazing are also a risk zone. Usually the herd is sprayed from pests and therefore they urgently seek a new victim. If you often go to such places it is better to protect yourself in advance.

But in the urban area, you can meet with these parasites. Parks and squares may well become suitable housing.

So you should never relax. Many species love places with high humidity. Therefore, the rainforest is a hotbed of places where ticks live.

The time of their activation is late spring and summer. Mostly they like warm but humid weather. They do not like heat. Therefore, walking through the forest after the rain is the most dangerous.

Home tick

Some types of ticks take root well at home. Although they are not as dangerous as the same taiga or encephalitis tick, they can still bring a lot of inconvenience.

The most common household residents are dust mites. They are also called linen or bed. These comrades often live in your home, but you don’t even notice them, since they do no harm. And in size it is so small that they can be seen only under a microscope.

Another home inhabitant is the spider mite. It settles on plants and is absolutely harmless to humans. But the plant itself kills, so you need to get rid of them.

Another habitat of ticks is human skin. Yes, yes, there. This species is able to live under your skin for years and you will not even guess about its presence.

But in the period of weakened immunity, they go deeper, which leads to skin diseases. And another variation on the face of a person is a ciliary mite.