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Ticks started their activity a few weeks ago. Usually, the greatest number of them is found in Podlasie, Lublin and Lesser Poland, but they can be found all over the country. This is shown in the interactive tick map presented below.
- The tick season began in April, although single reports of the presence of these insects appeared earlier
- Ticks are found mainly in forests, meadows, parks and plots of land, wherever there is vegetation
- Where have the most ticks appeared so far? You can check on the map below, constantly updated by users
- More current information can be found on the Onet homepage
Watch out for ticks
The tick season has already begun. These arachnids are usually most active in May and June, and September and October. However, due to the recent warm winters, the tick season has become much longer and lasts from April to November. There are also more and more reports of ticks encountered in the winter, in January.
When it comes to daytime activity, you need to be especially careful from early morning until noon and then from afternoon until dusk. Although, of course, the foraging period can last all day.
Ticks live mainly in deciduous and mixed forests, but they can be found everywhere with vegetation (it does not have to be tall), and therefore not only in the forest or in the meadow, as is commonly believed. Ticks are also waiting for us in the city park, square or in the backyard garden.
Where are the most of them? Traditionally in Podlasie and the Lublin region. – These are voivodeships where ticks are endemic, i.e. they have become established there and there are a lot of them. But the above-average number of ticks is also found in Małopolska and Silesia. Our country is a good home for a tick – explained Bartosz Fiałek some time ago.
The map of ticks – here are the most of them
So much for the theory. How does it work in practice? Dog lovers, the creators of the website Ciemnastronawiosny.pl, have developed a map of ticks, on which anyone who finds a tick can mark the places where they meet this arachnid.
The map is updated in real time. As the authors of the map explain, “the dangerous places are shown exactly where the person adding them, and the tick points are displayed in anonymised form, ie the actual place where the tick was found is within a radius of about 100 meters”.
Important note! A place not marked on the map does not mean that it is tick-free.
You can find the tick map below:
Ticks – how to protect yourself against them?
The best way to minimize the risk is prevention, i.e. avoiding areas where ticks can occur.
Ticks don’t like synthetic fabrics. They definitely prefer cotton. Therefore, fleece or elastic tracksuits work well as better protection. Long sleeves, pants, shoes that cover the foot – they protect well against ticks. Some companies produce clothing impregnated with repellent substances – primarily permethrin.
The color of our clothes does not matter to the tick. They are attracted by the smell. Ticks react to the smell of sweat. They are also attracted to increased body temperature. However, it is worth wearing bright clothes to the forest or for a walk for a simple reason – dark ticks can be seen better on light fabrics.
Repellants, i.e. repellants, can also help protect against ticks. They can be natural (e.g. eucalyptus oil, lavender oil, clove oil) or chemical. Order today Agents for ticks available on Medonet Market, eg Antykleszcz – a mix of natural essential oils for ETJA ticks. We recommend, among others A set for Sanity forceps (liquid repellent + removal tool), thanks to which you will be prepared for any eventuality.
Ticks – what diseases do they transmit?
Ticks living in Poland transmit tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme disease, anaplasmosis, babesiosis, and rickettsiosis. Experts estimate that around 10-15 percent of ticks can be infected with pathogenic germs, especially in the Podlaskie and Warmińsko-Mazurskie voivodships and in some parts of Mazowieckie, Opolskie and Dolnośląskie voivodships.
The most dangerous disease is tick-borne encephalitis. You can get vaccinated against it, but booster doses must be given every three years. Symptoms of the disease appear within two weeks and are similar to the flu. In 70-80 percent. cases, it is inhibited in this first phase. In the rest of those infected, the viruses travel into the central nervous system, where they can cause meningitis. Sometimes it ends in death, and nearly every second patient leaves the hospital with permanent consequences that require many years of treatment or rehabilitation.
Another dangerous disease is Lyme disease, the characteristic symptom of which is gradually expanding redness – but this symptom does not always occur. Fortunately, Lyme disease can be cured with antibiotics in most cases.
National epidemiology consultant, prof. Andrzej Zieliński explains that the best way to prevent tick-borne diseases is to scrub yourself in the shower with a soft brush. The shower itself is not enough, because there are hooks on the legs of the ticks, which they catch while walking on our skin.
In addition to the shower, it is also worth remembering to wash the clothes that we were wearing during a trip to endangered areas.
How to get rid of a tick?
The most important thing is to carefully inspect the clothes and body, with particular emphasis on exposed places, after returning from the places threatened by ticks. It may turn out that the arachnid hasn’t had time to dig into the skin yet, and we’ll find it before it does. It is a bit worse when he has already bitten into our body.
– When returning from an area with ticks, it is worth examining the skin carefully. Before 12 hours, we are not at risk of becoming infected – the later after this date, the greater the risk – said Prof. Stanisława Tylewska-Wierzbanowska from the National Institute of Hygiene.
Removing a tick is not difficult, but requires precision and firmness. The shorter the time a tick is in the skin, the less likely we are to be infected with the diseases it carries.
The most important thing is not to lubricate the tick with anything – butter, oil or petroleum jelly. This can make the tick vomit into the wound, making it easier for pathogens to enter the skin.
It is worth getting equipment for removing ticks at the pharmacy, but you can do without it. The tool with which we will remove the tick must be disinfected. Ordinary tweezers will do the job at home. We grab the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull it out of the skin with one stroke. We do not twist and squeeze.
At Medonet Market you will find a preparation for removing ticks – TICK EXPERT working on the principle of freezing, and a Tool for removing ticks – TICK OUT in the form of a pump, thanks to which you can easily remove a tick from the skin.
After removing the tick, make sure that it is completely removed. Disinfect the place after the bite and wash your hands. Each tick bite should be consulted with a doctor.
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