Tick

Ixodida

Insect with chitinous carapace
Crawling, biting, sucking
Parasite, disease vector

Hygiene and health pest

This blood-sucking parasite called a tick is considered by experts to be one of the most dangerous insects. Even more than humans, cats and dogs as well as horses and wild animals are among its preferred victims.

Transmission of diseases

Ticks in Europe transmit two main diseases, early summer Meningoencephalitis (TBE, a virus) and Lyme Disease (bacteria). There is currently no vaccination against Lyme Disease, but this bacterial infection can be treated well with antibiotics.
The saliva of ticks contains substances that prevent blood clotting or infection of the bite site. This allows ticks to suck blood undisturbed. Viruses and bacteria enter the wound via the saliva. After a bite, the pathogen is spread through the blood in the host’s body.
Tick bites are considered dangerous to humans because TBE and Lyme Disease are usually serious illnesses.
In tropical and subtropical areas, warnings are issued to prevent dogs from bringing ticks into homes during the rainy season. They are called “the silent menace in the rainy season” and infest children in particular. The risk of infection is considerable.

MORE DATA

Class: Arachnids
Size: 1 to 10mm
Weight: Variable
Age: 1 to 5 years
Appearance: Black, brown, red
Sexual dimorphism: No
Feeding type: Blood eater (haematophagous)
Food: Blood
Distribution: Approx. 900 tick species worldwide
Original location: Unknown
Sleep-wake rhythm: Diurnal
Habitat: Forests and meadows
Natural enemies: Threadworms, birds
Sexual maturity: Species-specific
Mating season: All year round
Social behaviour: Solitary
Threatened with extinction: No

Ticks lurk in bushes or tall grass at the edge of forests, in gardens and parks. Their bite can transmit various diseases to humans or pets. Anyone bitten by a tick should only remove it with tick tweezers, otherwise the tick can empty its stomach contents (possibly containing Lyme Disease bacteria) into the wound.
As dogs, cats and horses roam in the grass or through bushes and fields, they are more likely to be victims of tick attacks. The parasites are well hidden in the fur and are often overlooked, which is why they often suck blood for hours.
The risks that ticks pose to pet owners are similar to those of their animals, because tick bites are not uncommon in humans: surveys showed that one in three dog owners have found ticks on themselves. The tick bite, or more precisely the tick sting, is also so treacherous because it is usually not noticed immediately, as the insect secretes an anaesthetic.
Ticks are very choosy when it comes to the right place to bite the host. They prefer to choose a part of the body with thin, moist skin that is well supplied with blood. This is why these insects are mainly found in the back of the knees and in the abdominal and chest areas. In children, ticks particularly like the head, neck and hairline.
Ticks lurk in tall grass or bushes, but do not fall from trees.
A tick can survive several years from sucking blood one time.
So that the host does not notice the bite, the tick numbs the skin beforehand with an anaesthetic from its saliva.
Ticks belong to the arachnids. In the course of evolution, they specialised in sucking blood.
Ticks suck blood for two reasons: food and reproduction. To form an egg, a female needs certain components in the host’s blood. Accordingly, male ticks suck less blood because they do not lay eggs.
After a full meal, the weight of the tick can be 200 times its previous weight.
In order to be able to suck for a long time without hindrance, the saliva of ticks contains anticoagulants (coagulation inhibitors).
With the help of Haller’s organ, ticks locate their host. These sensitive receptors on the two front legs can sense body temperature, sweat and exhaled carbon dioxide.
Ticks are very sensitive to temperature and need a moderate climate. They therefore survive neither in extremely cold nor hot regions of the earth.