Ticks in the gardencan appear among shrubs, in dense thickets, and especially among grasses. Although the problem of ticks is mainly associated with holiday trips and excursions in the forest, we can just as often become a victim of a tick in the garden. See how to carry outtick control in the gardenand what effective preparations andspraying for ticks in the garden
Ticks in the garden
Fig. pixabay.com
Every year with the advent of holidays and the holiday season,the topic of ticks and the dangers caused by them returns The most dangerous complications after a tick bite are Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis. Until recently, it was believed that ticks are a problem only for those who spend their holidays in forest areas and wander through dense thickets and wet meadows during their hikes.
Unfortunately - more and more often we can also fall victim to ticks in city parks, and evenmeet ticks in the gardenSo that thoughts about ticks do not disturb our rest in the bosom of nature, it is worth reading the basic principles of prophylaxis that protect us against contact with a tick, find out what arepreparations for ticks , as well as the rulesafter a tick bite
Where do ticks come from in the garden?
Ticks belong to the group of arachnids.The common tick(Ixodes ricinus) is the most common in Poland. The female of this tick is light brown in color and ranges from 2.5 to 4 mm in length. When it sucks blood, it can swell up to 14 mm.As it swells, it also turns reddish-brown. The males are much smaller. They reach sizes from 1.5 to 2.5 mm.The common tick is a three-host parasite and its development lasts on average about 3 years. The larvae and nymphs of ticks attack small mammals, rodents, some reptiles and birds. Nymphs and adults parasitize on larger species of mammals (including dogs and humans).
The largest clusters of ticks are found in wet areas, in deciduous and mixed forests, especially if ferns grow in their undergrowthRelatively rare, however, are ticks in dry pine or spruce forests. The occurrence of ticks is defined as mosaic - there may be a lot of ticks in one place, and not a single one hundred meters away.
They can also be found very often in meadows and pastures overgrown with shrubs. As if that were not enough, more and more often we encountertick bites after visiting a city park or garden .
Ticks in the garden hide on bushes, trees and thick thickets
Fig. pixabay.com
The cause of the spread of ticks, apart from the humid forest areas typical for them, is considered to be climate change (less frosty winters), as well as human activity. For example, when taking a dog for forest excursions,we can easily bring ticks to the backyard garden
In search of hosts, ticks travel up the branches of shrubs or grass blades. Usually, however, they do not climb more than several dozen centimeters high. Most often,ticks in the garden attack in spring(late April and May) and autumn (late August to early October). During hot and dry summers, their activity decreases as they then descend lower, looking for moisture close to the ground. However, reducing their activity does not make them harmless.Remember to protect yourself from ticks throughout the season- from spring to autumn.
How to check if there are ticks in the garden?
If you are sureif there are ticks in your garden , we suggest a simple way to find out. For this purpose, we will need a t-shirt (preferably in white, because it will best show ticks) and two sticks. These can be cut branches, a broom handle or a rake handle. You will surely find something like that in the garden.
The T-shirt should be soaked first to attract ticks. It is best to perform a longer sporting activity, e.g. jogging or cycling.Pull the sweaty T-shirt over the sticks, creating a kind of net for ticks.Pull the horizontally spread T-shirt between bushes, in dense thickets, near ferns and grasses, and necessarily in a shady corner of the garden. Move the T-shirt slowly so that the ticks have time to fall on it.We move the T-shirt in the lower parts of the bushesremembering that ticks do not stay higher than 100 cm, and we find most of them just above the ground.
After such a tour of the gardencheck if there are ticks on the T-shirtIf we find at least one tick, we can be sure that there are ticks in the garden and it is worth protecting against them somehow.
How to check if there are ticks in the garden
Fig. © PoradnikOgrodniczy.pl
If you do not have a T-shirt or two poles,you can catch ticks on a white flannel flag on one stick by sweeping the grassThe ticks easily attach to the hairs of the flannel. This method was recommended to us by Mr. Jan Stańczak, who for the purposes of his scientific work de alt with catching ticks from their natural habitats. Thank you very much for your help: -)
Catching ticks on a flannel flag
Fig. © Jan Stańczak
How to prevent tick bites?
Of course, it's best to avoid trips to tick locations.On the other hand, it is impossible to give up outdoor recreation or trips to the forest. However, when going on a trip or a walk,avoid walking on paths overgrown with grasses, low shrubs or ferns , never sit directly on the grass. We should also remember about appropriate clothing. Important elements of clothing are high shoes, clothes close to the body with long legs and sleeves (socks should be rolled over pants) and preferably in a light color (then it is easier to notice ticks walking on our clothes). You should alsospray clothes and exposed parts of the body with repellants , i.e. preparations that repel ticks. An example of such a preparation is Biochron spray against mosquitoes and ticks.
Fighting ticks in the garden
You can hear more and more often that ticks have entered plots and gardens. Ifticks are a problem in our garden , then avoid creating places convenient for their living.Let us not plant the bushes too densely, do not create damp and shady places, remove weeds regularly and mow the lawn regularly and low. Plants such as garden ferns are inadvisable, among which ticks unfortunately love to be around. Before every visit to the garden, especially before work such as trimming bushes, weeding or mowing the grass, applytick repellentpreparations, such as the aforementioned Biochron mosquito and tick spray.
In the case of a large number of ticks, you can usespraying ticks in the gardenRemember, however, that spraying the entire plot may not do us good. Especially if we grow vegetables or fruit trees and shrubs. Chemistry should not be abused, and apart from ticks, we can also kill beneficial insects that pollinate flowers or plant pests.
If we already have to sprayagainst ticks in the garden , choose a product that is proven and safe to use.An example of such a formulation is Aspermet 200 EC. It is suitable both for spraying the garden and closed rooms, e.g. gazebos or garden houses. You may stay in sprayed areas as soon as the spray mist has cleared. In addition, the preparation will also allow us to get rid of mosquitoes. It is therefore an effective, safe and comprehensive solution.
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If we avoid the use of any chemicals or we deal with ecological cropsto control ticks in the garden, you can use the natural preparation TARGET ON TICKSThe main active ingredient of this preparation is natural blackberry oil. Against ticks, the places where these pests occur should be sprayed thoroughly with a 1.2% solution of TARGET ON TICKS (12 ml per liter of water). When ticks are numerous, it is worth spraying systematically every 7-10 days.It is worth noting that the safety of using TARGET ON TICKS is confirmed by the PZH certificate, and the effectiveness of spraying was confirmed by tests carried out in 2018 at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences (SGGW) Warsaw (100% of ticks in the study area were killed within 48 hours of spraying).
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What to do after a tick bite?
All these preventive measures significantly reduce the likelihood of being bitten bya tick in the garden , but we can never be 100% sure that a tick is not interested in us. Therefore, after returning home, you need to carefully inspect the surface of the skin. Before ticks anchor in human skin, they look for a suitable feeding place. In children, they are most often located on the head, usually on the border of the hair and behind the ears. However, in adults - in places where the skin is delicate (e.g. under the knees, in the groin, on the stomach). It is also good to take a shower. Thanks to this, we will rinse the small nymphs of ticks, which are difficult to see with the naked eye.
Ticks often hide under the hair
Fig. depositphotos.com
If we find a tick that has already got stuck in the skin, it must be removed as soon as possible.The sooner we do it, the less likely it is to infect us.Tweezers will come in handy when removing the tick from the skin . With its use, we grab the tick right next to the surface of our skin and pull it out with a firm, fast, semi-circular motion. If we find that fragments of the tick's mouthparts still remain in the skin, an appointment with a surgeon will be necessary. . The tick is sucked from our skin, which gives a high probability that it will be removed completely and safely.
Note!Do not crush the tick, burn it with a cigarette, apply grease or gasoline. These activities cause the tick to return the food content or to release saliva to a greater extent, which increases the risk of transmitting pathogenic microorganisms to our body.
Afterremoving the tick, the skin is disinfected, e.g.hydrogen peroxide.
The place from which we removed the tick must be observed for a few more weeksIf we notice a reddish spot or lump on the skin, slowly widening, then annular,it may testify to the infection with Lyme disease(changes are usually seen up to 30 days after the infection). Later the development of this disease is accompanied by severe headaches, fever, chills, pain in muscles and joints, general malaise and fatigue, and drowsiness. Sometimes, however, the symptoms of the disease appear only after many months or even years and are chronic. Therefore, let's not wait for these symptoms. As soon as we noticethe first changes in the form of a red erythema in the place where the tick was , we should see a doctor. You may need antibiotics. Lyme disease is a bacterial disease. There is no vaccine against it, but treatment with antibiotics is effective.
Another serious consequence of the presence of a tick on our body may betick-borne encephalitisThe incubation period of this disease lasts up to 28 days and takes place in two phases. In the first phase of the disease, there are flu-like symptoms, such as fever, muscle and joint pain, and catarrh of the upper respiratory tract. They disappear after a few days to appear more intensely in the second phase. Then there is an even higher fever, stiff neck, sleep disorders, disturbances of consciousness, nystagmus, photophobia, headaches and dizziness, vomiting and other disorders. In severe cases, symptoms of meningitis and encephalitis occur, and the disease can be fatal. Unfortunately, there are no drugs against this disease. Only its symptoms are reduced pharmacologically. Most patients recover, but often persistent complications remain. Therefore, especiallypeople exposed to frequent contact with ticks should get vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis
