Rim of pigeons. “He has saliva so virulent that a bite can be fatal”

Ticks can be found not only in meadows, forests or parks. They can also hide in attics and even our balcony – this is the case with pigeon rim (also known as pigeon rim). This species of tick attacks at night and has such virulent saliva that its sting can be fatal. – In Poland, such cases are described among allergic people – Dr. Jarosław Pacoń from the University of Life Sciences in Wrocław tells Medonet.

1. Edgings develop in the nests of pigeons – so they occur in the nesting places of these birds: lofts, attics, attics, church towers, even on balconies
2. Pigeons can attack humans when they lose access to natural hosts (birds). This is the case, for example, when renovating buildings
3. Rims, like other ticks, can be vectors of dangerous diseases – incl. Lyme disease
4. As noted by Dr. Pacoń, these ticks have such virulent saliva that in extreme cases anaphylactic shock and even death may occur.
5. More information can be found on the Onet homepage.

Ticks not only in meadows and forests. They can live in attics and our balconies

We are used to thinking that we are exposed to tick attacks while walking in a forest, meadow or park. In fact, in such situations, we run the risk of encountering a common tick. It is worth remembering, however, that there are also ticks that live in animal burrows (burrows) or on specific animals – e.g. hedgehog ticks, which occur not only on hedgehogs. There are also ticks that attack birds. Among them is the so-called rim of pigeons (rim of pigeons, from Latin Argas reflexus). It does not have the hard head and snout that are characteristic of ticks (the rim is the so-called soft tick). Usually it is gray-brown or flesh-colored – it blends with the ground.

As the name suggests, it is a species of tick that specializes in feeding on pigeons (although it also attacks other species). So it can be found in the nesting places of these birds (margins develop in the nests of pigeons). These ticks occur in lofts (they do not spare purebred birds), but also in attics, attics, and church towers inhabited by pigeons. This tick will not despise our balcony, if the pigeon’s family has established a nest on it.

Rims are among the largest ticks

The ticks are one of the largest ticks – adult individuals of the pigeon’s rim can reach 9 mm in length. Moreover, they are also one of the longest-lived arthropods. As we read in the article published in the monthly “Życie Weterynaryjne”, they can survive up to 10 years in laboratory conditions. These parasites are very resistant to the lack of food, the authors of the text point out that “under laboratory conditions they can starve for up to five years”.

The edges are active until the end of summer. The eggs are laid in June and July – females often choose the same hiding place for this purpose, which creates large clusters of eggs. The larvae appear at the end of summer. As we read in the mentioned article, the larvae usually consume food only once, feeding for about six days. Nymphs and adult margins usually drink blood once or twice a year, “feeding usually only a dozen or so minutes”. They attack mainly at night.

When is edgel a threat to humans?

Since the pigeon fringe is a typical avian parasite, why can it be a threat to people? Scientists know that these ticks can attack us when they lose access to their natural host – birds. This is the case, for example, during the renovation of buildings, when birds have to look for another place for themselves. The authors of the specialist text quoted here note that pigeons are exposed primarily to the inhabitants of higher floors adjacent to attics, as well as people who carry out various works in attics.

Dr. Jarosław Pacoń points out a very important matter. – We often get questions about what to do when the pigeons start to build a nest on the balcony. There is only one answer: unfortunately, you have to throw away the entire nest, even if there are eggs there. The birds will find a different nesting site, he tells Medonet. – The point is that although the birds will raise the young and fly away, the margins will remain in their nest. When they are hungry, they will start entering the apartments through open windows, balcony doors, and gaps in the window joinery. They will look for a host and eventually attack us – explains the scientist. What can it end with?

What diseases do margins transmit? The body’s reactions after a bite

Rims, like other ticks, can be vectors of dangerous diseases – incl. Lyme disease, tick-borne encephalitis. But that’s not all. After pricking the rim, a local reaction may appear, in the form of an itchy blister, redness and swelling. It may be accompanied by visible swelling of the adjacent lymph nodes. In addition, the components of the marginal saliva can cause systemic symptoms, including malaise, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea, shortness of breath.

However, these are not the most serious effects of a tick bite. – Rims of pigeons have saliva so virulent that a prick of such an arachnid can be fatal – says Dr. Pacoń. – In Poland, such cases are medically described among allergic people. The first and second prickle will be an allergenic dose, the next one may result in severe allergic symptoms, including anaphylactic shock – he adds. In the mentioned article, experts note that “hypersensitivity to allergens contained in arachnid saliva can be caused by repeated attacks”.

In the case of suspicion of bites by a pigeon rim, it is worth performing a serological test to look for antibodies specific to the antigens of this tick species, although – as the authors of the article in “Życie Weterynaryjnego” point out, sometimes the results of such tests are false negative.

Finally, let’s add that spraying with insecticides containing pyrethroids or carbamates is a way to combat the cuticles.

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