Ticks are blood-sucking insects that can really ruin a summer vacation! Moreover, unlike mosquitoes, which mainly bring only temporary inconvenience, these arachnid parasites strive not only to drink our blood, but also to infect them with diseases. Further in the article we will find out how dangerous the tick can be, what this arthropod is afraid of and how to protect itself from it.
Effects
A tick bite does not bring you discomfort, it is painless. The problem is that during it, the parasite can infect. And we are talking about serious diseases: tick-borne paralysis, typhus, encephalitis and Lyme disease. The last two ailments, in simple terms, are inflammation of the brain and damage to the nervous system with the musculoskeletal system in addition. Diseases are very serious, from which a fully cured patient is lucky!
Voluntary house arrest?
So what to do? Is it really necessary to sit at home all summer, limiting your access to the street while the tick lives and multiplies? What the parasite is afraid of, we will find out a little later. Now a few general words about protection methods. So, today there are various remedies for ticks. All of them are based on chemistry and allow either to scare off the parasite or to destroy it. Effective ticks are divided into three types. The first includes repellents. To the second - acaricidal substances. But the most effective tick remedies are combination drugs. They combine the beneficial properties of repellents and acaricides.
Types of drugs
The most common tick remedy for humans is repellent. This category includes sprays, ointments, creams and gels. Their main goal is to scare away the parasite. With their help, you can take care of yourself and your loved ones before going to nature or going to the city park. In nature, everything is very simple: if you were able to show that you are dangerous, you will not be touched. Repellents are based on diethyltoluamide (abbreviated DETA) and it repels parasites. Due to its low toxicity, DETA-based preparations can be applied not only to clothing, but also to the skin. Before going into fresh air, it is necessary to first process the cover in those places where there is no clothing. By the way, things should be on elastic bands and fit snugly to the body. Pay particular attention to the joints of clothing items. The principle of diethyltoluamide is simple - impurities are released into the air that repel the parasite. That's what smell ticks are afraid of. Therefore, having barely sensed the aroma of the drug, they will refuse to bite you from their intention.
All you can not plunge into
In principle, the work of DEET lies in its weakness. To completely protect yourself, you must literally swim in the drug and soak them well. This, of course, is impossible. And most importantly - if you suddenly decide to take such a bath, we remind you that diethyltoluamide does not have toxicity, but it is very low! Preparations based on it are contraindicated in children under three years of age. True, there are "lite" tick remedies for children with special compounds. So, you have to smear, creating artificial barriers for the parasite. How effective are these tick remedies? Reviews of most consumers in general, of course, are positive. People who used drugs based on DETA talk about their effectiveness and speed. In general, they cope with their "scaring" task. But there are also disadvantages of repellents. So, drugs can be washed off with water. In addition, the concentration of DETA must be at least 30% in the product. And finally, the most important thing: these drugs work for only about five hours. During this time, not one tick will sit on you. What is arthropod afraid of besides repellents?
No parasite - no problem
The second group of drugs acts more radically. Acaricides are very effective against ticks. They paralyze the pest first and then kill it. Severely, but, as practice shows, is extremely effective. The main substance in such preparations is alpha-cypermethrin. How this remedy against ticks acts, we have already described. But I must say that it has an extremely negative effect on humans, as it is very toxic. Use the drug carefully. It is not recommended to apply the product on exposed skin. And, of course, you should avoid accidentally getting it in your mouth or eyes. Any alpha cypermethrin-based tick treatment product is intended for use on clothing. How to do it better? Before going to nature, you need all the things that you are going to walk in, lay out, carefully revealing all the folds, and treat with an aerosol. Then, having waited until it dries, put it on and go to the planned event. Acaricides are active for about two weeks. In addition to toxicity, these sprays have one more minus. Using only acaricides, you leave your skin unprotected. If the parasite can penetrate the clothes, only chance will save you from a bite.
Complex preparations
Logic suggests: a tick remedy for people, combining the functions of the first two types, will be an ideal protection. Combined-type drugs (insecticidal-repellent) are created on the basis of the already familiar alpha-cypermethrin and diethyltoluamide. Considering that, in fact, the third type of drugs is a banal mixture of the first two in one bottle, the resulting product "inherits" the main positive properties of the two components described above. But at the same time, minuses also turn into complex preparations. This, in particular, is relatively high toxicity, non-water resistance, short period of action. Four hours is the maximum during which insecticide-repellents can fully protect you. Nevertheless, for a short hour and a half walk, this is a great choice. During this time, not one tick will sit on you. What the parasite is afraid of as a whole, we found out. Next, the names of the most common drugs should be given. Russian-made products include DEFI-anticompetum, Medifoks-anticommunity, Fumitox-anticommunity, Kra-rep, Taran-anticommunity, Tundra - protection against ticks, and Kapkan-anticommunity. The Italian preparation Gardex Extreme (aerosol) and the Czech product Moskitol-Anticlesch (special protection) are also advised.
Versatility is not always good
What to do when planning on a long trip to the countryside? It is best to use not a ready-made universal mixture, but immediately repellents and acaricides separately. Your clothes treated with acaricide before the trip will be protected for several weeks, and spraying yourself with a repellent spray every three to four hours is not such a big problem. Specialists recommend applying such products as DEFI-Taiga, Deta-VOKKO, Gall-RET, Gall-RET-kl, Reftamid Maximum to apply adult skin to adults. All these are Russian funds. From abroad, take a look at the Biban cream from Slovenia and the Italian products Off! Extreme and Gardex Extreme. Treat the children with Phthalar, Efkalat or Kamaarant Cream. It can be used to protect children from tick bites of the gel “Off-child” and “Biban-gel”. Or use repellent colognes "Pihtal", "Evital". For clothing, use acaricides from Russia: "Taiga Reftamide", "Pretix", "Picnic-Antiklesh". Good answer about the Italian means "Gardeks-antiklesch", "Permanon", "Tornado-Antiklesh".
Not a single chemistry
When discussing remedies, we mentioned clothes several times. It is as important in protecting against ticks as are chemicals. The minimum requirements for your outfit in nature are as follows: all things should be on elastic bands at the edges in order to prevent ticks from getting on untreated skin. In addition, clothing should cover the maximum surface. There is special equipment for going out into the countryside. Its intended purpose is protection against ticks. An example is the anti-encephalitic (domestic) BioStop suit. It complies with all the requirements for clothing for safe walks in nature. The suit consists of trousers and jackets with puffs. An important detail is the hood with a mosquito net. Across the surface of the suit "BioStop" are frills with acaricidal preparation. The manufacturer claims that the effectiveness of this suit in combination with shoes with thick soles is 100%. There is no need for additional processing with already voiced drugs. There are also so-called encephalitis. Such costumes, invented by craftsmen, in fact, are just a form of clothing recommended for walking in nature. She defends, frankly, extremely weakly.
If nevertheless the parasite has bitten
What to do if, when you come home, you find a tick on yourself? Firstly, there is no need to panic. However, after detecting a parasite, the necessary measures should be taken immediately. How to remove a tick? The procedure is carried out very carefully. The most important thing is by no means to prevent the insect from breaking into two parts when you pull it out. The smaller the parasite, the more difficult it will be to eliminate it.
How to remove an insect from the body?
There are three main ways to remove the tick yourself. If the size of the parasite is sufficient to capture it with your fingers or tweezers, you can try to unscrew the insect from the body. The tick is introduced clockwise. It should be eliminated by twisting in the opposite direction. In this case, it is necessary to capture the parasite as close as possible to the surface of the body. You can also use oil to remove. They should lubricate the area where the insect has sunk. The oil will block the access of oxygen to the tick, and he will select himself. After it can be removed without much difficulty. The insect is also removed using a thread. A small eyelet is made of it and is worn on the body of the parasite. Then, with light movements, try to pull it out. But I must say that this method is not applicable if the tick is small.
Our smaller brothers
Cats and dogs also need to be protected from ticks. These arachnid parasites, in fact, do not care whom to bite. For animals, the main method of protection against ticks is smell. The first and easiest way to protect your pet is to buy a special collar. The second is laborious, but also more reliable - treat the animal with special aerosols and ointments. You need to do this once every few weeks, it all depends on the coat of the pet. In the first days after treatment with drugs, animals should not be washed.
When choosing a product, one must take into account that fleas that threaten the health and life of pets can vary depending on their habitat. Malicious microorganisms typical of Russia are often resistant to antiparasitic drugs developed and manufactured in Europe. In addition, European drugs are developed with an “eye” on the composition of parasites living in Europe, without taking into account the characteristics of the Russian parasitic flora. Pet owners living in Russia are advised to use modern domestic parasite products for their pets - for example, Dana Ultra products: anti-parasitic collars, withers drops and wool sprays from the leading Russian manufacturer Api-San.
The main thing - no panic
And remember: no matter how we wish, there is no one hundred percent protection against ticks. There is always a small chance that you will be bitten. In this case, do not panic! If you feel that you do not have enough experience in eliminating insects, contact your doctor right away. He will deal with the extraction of the parasite and its study, and at the same time will tell if there is cause for concern. Well, the last tip. Returning from a walk, carefully examine yourself and your loved ones. This must be done, even if you went into the treatment of leather and clothing before going out into the countryside.