Ticks - eight-legged bloodsuckers
Luise Heine has been an editor at since 2012. The qualified biologist studied in Regensburg and Brisbane (Australia) and gained experience as a journalist in television, in the Ratgeber-Verlag and in a print magazine. In addition to her work at , she also writes for children, for example for the Stuttgarter Kinderzeitung, and has her own breakfast blog, “Kuchen zum Frühstück”.
More posts by Luise Heine All content is checked by medical journalists.If the thermometer climbs to seven to ten degrees in spring, a particular danger arises in nature. Ticks target human blood. However, if they are bitten, they can also transmit dangerous diseases such as Lyme disease and early summer meningoencephalitis (TBE)
How do I recognize a tick?
Ticks belong to the mites, i.e. to the arachnids. Adults have eight legs, but nymph stages can also have only six legs. Depending on their age, they are three to twelve millimeters in size. Your body consists of two parts: the front part of the head with the legs, and the torso, which can expand when the blood is absorbed. Depending on the type, the back label is colored brown or gray.
The crawly animals have a highly developed piercing apparatus. They cut open the skin with part of the mouthparts and then insert a proboscis to collect blood.
Where do ticks live?
Ticks prefer to stay at the edges of forests, bush zones or in tall, dense grass (for example in parks). They climb up the vegetation and wait for a potential host to approach. If it touches the tick, it hooks onto it - it "jumps" up. On the host, she looks for a free area of skin to suck blood. Popular "victims" of ticks are humans, but also other mammals and birds.
Ticks can be found on the coast and in the highlands up to a height of around 2,000 meters. However, they need a high level of humidity in order not to dry out.
Which diseases do ticks transmit?
Ticks can transmit some diseases that are dangerous to humans. In Europe this is mainly the early summer meningoencephalitis (TBE). In these cases, viruses cause inflammation in the brain or on the meninges; in the worst case, the disease is fatal. There is a vaccination against TBE, which is recommended for risk areas (especially southern Germany). In 2011, 424 TBE cases were reported in Germany, compared to 195 in 2012.
An estimated 60,000 to 100,000 people are diagnosed with Lyme disease every year. Lyme borreliosis is caused by the bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi, which ticks transmit when they bite. If Lyme disease goes undetected, it can cause chronic symptoms, especially in the joints. A warning to be taken seriously is when the skin around the tick bite turns red. Doctors speak of erythema migrans, the wandering redness. There is no vaccination against Lyme disease.
What is special about the tick?
Ticks native to Germany usually take a long time sucking blood. It takes several hours to dig your way through the skin. The victim usually does not notice this because the small parasites inject an anesthetic. The subsequent blood meal can take days. During this time, the animals' abdomen swells up to 200 times their own body weight. When fully sucked, females can reach a size of one centimeter. There are 19 species of tick in this country, the most common of which is the wood tick (Ixodes ricinus). Ticks usually live to be three to five years old.
Ticks go through several stages until they reach sexual maturity. After mating, the male dies, the female suckles again fully and then drops to the ground. After a short ripening period, it lays 2,000 to 3,000 eggs and dies.
In the last few years another type of tick has found its way to Germany: the alluvial forest tick (Dermacentor reticulatus). When fully sucked, females even reach the stately size of two centimeters. The back shield of the female animals is light with brown, streaky stippling. Similar to the male wood tick, the males are more blue-gray. The alluvial forest tick differs from the wood tick especially when it comes to searching for prey - it actively crawls in the direction of potential hosts. Riparian forest ticks can also transmit diseases, including the spotted fever group and dog babesiosis, which is dangerous for dogs.
How do I remove ticks correctly?
A tick that has buried itself in the skin should be removed as soon as possible. Grasp the tick's body with your fingers or tweezers and gently pull the parasite out. But be careful: the head should not be torn off if possible. Then disinfect the area, for example with alcohol.
If you want to be absolutely sure, you can have the removed tick examined for borreliosis pathogens. However, it is advisable to clarify the costs for this beforehand.
How can I prevent tick bites?
It is best not to give the crawlers a chance to attach themselves to you. When you are outdoors, wear clothing that closes tightly, i.e. with long sleeves and pant legs. Light-colored clothing makes it easier to find the pests. If you pull your socks over your trousers, you will also protect your legs. A nap at the edge of the forest is also not recommended.
Carefully check your body for ticks during and after the outing. Do not forget the pubic and groin area. Especially in children, the parasites like to settle on the scalp. Insect repellents help to keep the ticks away from the body - but only for a short time. Pets also contribute to the spread of the crawlers. Search them carefully and remove any parasites that are present.
By the way, just washing your clothes doesn't necessarily help. Ticks can easily survive being in the washing machine - however, staying in the dryer or a particularly hot wash is critical.
