Ticks
This enemy of your health lurks in the grass
What are ticks?
Ticks, tiny parasitic arachnids, feed on the blood of various vertebrates, including humans. At first they are only one to two millimetres in size, but they grow much larger when engorged. The blood not only serves as food but also for their development and reproduction.
These small bloodsuckers can carry pathogens, including dangerous bacteria and viruses. When they bite, they sometimes transmit these pathogens to their host, which can lead to illnesses such as Lyme disease or tick-borne encephalitis.
Where do ticks hide?
Ticks become active at temperatures of about 8 °C and are especially present in spring and autumn. Their preferred hunting times are the morning and early evening hours.
You will mostly find these small bloodsuckers near paths, in tall grass, in undergrowth and in shrubs. Whether you are in the forest – jogging, cycling, hiking or camping – or playing and working in the garden, you may encounter them.
It is important to know that ticks stay at ground level and are transmitted by direct contact, not by falling or jumping from trees.
editorial.facts
- Worldwide there are over 800 different species of ticks. The sheep tick (Ixodes ricinus) is the best‑known species from the family of hard ticks and belongs to the class of arachnids.
- Ticks live for about two to three years. Both larvae and adults can survive the cold winter in a shelter.
- Ticks do not have a nose, but they can detect certain substances such as butyric acid or ammonia in sweat, as well as carbon dioxide produced when exhaling. This is done via a specialised organ on the front legs, the so‑called 'Haller's organ'. With the help of this organ ticks can locate their hosts.
- After mating the male ticks die, while the females live on until they lay eggs. Female ticks can produce up to 5,000 eggs in their bodies, on average about 2,000. The more blood they have been able to suck, the more eggs they produce.
Where do ticks most often bite?
Ticks prefer thin-skinned, moist and well‑vascularised areas of the body. Therefore they are often found on the legs, especially in the creases behind the knees, on the abdomen and chest. The neck, ears and lower back are also common sites. In children, the head, neck and hairline are frequently affected.
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How dangerous are tick bites?
A tick bite can become dangerous if the tick is infected with pathogens. In this case, the pathogens pass from the tick's salivary glands or gut into the host's body via its feeding apparatus.
Tick bites can sometimes be life‑threatening. A tick‑borne encephalitis (TBE) infection can be mild, but in severe cases it may lead to inflammation of the brain, the meninges or the spinal cord, which carries a significant risk.
However, Lyme disease bacteria are the pathogens most commonly transmitted by ticks. Since the Borrelia bacteria reside in the tick's gut, the risk of transmission increases with the duration of attachment. Fortunately, Lyme disease is not contagious and can be treated with antibiotics.
What to do if bitten by a tick?
If a tick bite is noticed, the tick should be removed immediately. This can be done using a pointed tool such as a tick remover, fine tweezers or a tick card by grasping the tick close to the bite site (between head and body) and pulling slowly and straight out. Be careful not to twist the tick so that the body does not tear off and the head remain embedded in the skin. After removal, the bite site should be treated with a disinfectant to reduce the risk of infection.
It is important that home remedies like oil or glue are not used to remove ticks. They can cause the tick, in a last attempt to escape, to expel its gut contents into the skin and possibly transmit pathogens.
Do not crush the tick when removing it so that no fluid from the tick's gut contaminates the bite site. If parts of the tick remain in the skin, do not attempt to treat them yourself. Instead, see a doctor so the remnants can be removed professionally.
What are the symptoms of tick‑borne encephalitis (TBE)?
After a tick bite, symptoms of TBE may appear. Compared with Lyme disease, TBE viruses are transmitted relatively quickly. The illness proceeds in two phases. About ten days after the bite, for roughly one week, non‑specific signs such as headache, fever and fatigue occur.
After a short interval, an inflammation of the spinal cord, the meninges and the brain can develop. In about 50 percent of cases there is an isolated meningitis with severe headache and fever. In about 40 percent of cases, inflammation of the brain (meningoencephalitis) additionally occurs, with disturbed movement coordination, impaired consciousness and paralysis of the limbs and cranial nerves.
In about 10 percent of cases an inflammation of the spinal cord (meningoencephalomyelitis) also occurs, with flaccid paralysis, swallowing and speech disorders, paralysis of facial and neck muscles and respiratory failure. More than a third of those affected suffer permanent neurological damage.
Many infections, however, run without symptoms or do not progress to the second phase. Exact disease rates after a tick bite are unclear, but about one third of infected people develop symptoms. Men fall ill twice as often as women and older people are more likely to have a severe course.
How to protect yourself from ticks: practical tips
- Wear sturdy footwear, long socks and long trousers for outdoor activities. This covers your skin and protects you from ticks.
- Wear rubber boots over long trouser legs to provide extra protection against tick bites.
- Use insect repellent on skin and clothing to deter ticks.
- Don't forget to protect the neck and head as well.
- Stay on paths and avoid dense undergrowth and tall grass where ticks may hide.
- Avoid sitting on the ground, especially in tick habitats such as forests.
- Give your pets a tick preventative to reduce the risk of tick bites.
- Keep grass and shrubs in your garden short to remove tick habitat.
- Choose light‑coloured clothing that largely covers the body. Ticks are easier to spot and remove on light fabrics.
- Check yourself and your children carefully for ticks after every outdoor stay. Pay special attention to the head, especially the delicate skin behind the ears and at the hairline on the neck, the neck, armpits, groin, between the legs and the soft skin in the backs of the knees.
- Store your clothes after visiting a tick area so that roommates do not come into contact with them and avoid leaving clothing in the sleeping room.
- Wash your clothes after visiting a tick area at at least 60 °C to ensure that ticks are killed.
- Keep laundry that must be stored until the next wash in a sealed plastic bag or in a separate room that is not cool and damp.
- Place laundry in the bathtub or shower if necessary to make it easier to detect and remove any ticks. This allows effective monitoring and control of clothing for ticks.
To minimise the risk of a tick bite, it is important to know where ticks are found and how to protect yourself correctly. With the right precautions you can reduce the danger of tick bites and make your outdoor activities safer.
