How many ticks live

How many ticks live directly depends on climatic conditions and habitat. The genetic abilities of arachnids are impressive, but in real life the timing is much shorter. In the scientific literature describes about 50 thousand species of ticks. People often by this word mean Ixodes ticks that live in forests, groves, tall grass, city park. They feed on blood, attack animals, birds, less often people.

Life cycle

The tick's lifespan depends on air temperature, humidity, and food availability. In favorable conditions, the pest lives much less, but more productive. Development begins with an egg, until complete transformation into a mature individual, the tick goes through several stages of development, followed by 3 hosts.

In nature, the pairing of pests occurs on the body of the victim. Upon completion of this process, the males die. Females fall to the ground, in the forest litter, grass lay eggs in huge quantities. The sexually mature individual lives in favorable conditions for about 12 months.

Eggs of the first instar appear from the eggs, which outwardly differ from imago in body size - no more than 1 mm, the number of paws - instead of 8, is only 6. From 4 to 8 molts pass through the entire development cycle of a nymph. For every reincarnation you need blood - the only source of nutrition. Pests await the host in the grass, on shrubs, young trees. They rise above the surface of the earth no more than 50 cm. At the slightest opportunity, they crawl onto the victim's body, begin to drink their fill, fall away. The body may swell, increase in size up to 3 cm.

Each cycle lasts from several days to months.It all depends on the climatic conditions - ticks do not tolerate heat, dryness, as well as the presence of the owner. In anticipation of the victim nymph may exist for months. Under favorable conditions, the full development cycle is completed in 1.5-2 years.

On a note!

The life of a tick can suddenly end, if it is discovered by a person or a natural enemy. Birds of prey eat them in the wild, so that by the middle of summer there are far fewer parasites than at the beginning. On average, a pest can live only 2 years.

Tick ​​life cycle

How many years do ticks live in adverse conditions?

To replenish energy reserves, the ability to develop, to lay eggs, just to live, we need the blood of animals, birds. A person becomes a temporary host, contributes to further development, but significantly reduces the potential. Therefore, man for ixodid ticks is a potential victim, but not the main one.

On a note!

A tick without food can live for years. When adverse conditions occur, it ceases to move, slows down the metabolic processes, falls into anabiosis. In such a state is able to stay for about 8 years.At the sight of the victim, it instantly comes to life, crawls on the body, feeds, continues normal activities.

Without blood, the pest is able to live longer than without water. Humidity of the environment plays an important role in the development of larvae, nymphs, and the vital activity of adults.

• Parasites wake up very early when the air temperature barely rises above 0 degrees Celsius.
• Activate the activity at +10 degrees Celsius.
• Favorable for them is the temperature not higher than 22 degrees Celsius. Therefore, dry summer, the heat in the range of 30 degrees Celsius kills them.

How many live ticks in the apartment

After the bite, the parasite continues to reincarnate, lay eggs, mate. For a tick, the lifespan depends on the conditions where it then falls. While walking in nature, a person can pick up a parasite, bring it into the house. On the clothes the pest sits for several minutes without movement, then begins to look for open areas of the body.

The parasite can also lurk in the car while traveling through the woods, on vacation, or when the windows are not tightly parked near the house. A pet can bring them to the apartment.In a situation when the tick fell off itself from the dog, there is a possibility of a person being bitten in the future. You can find parasites on the body of cats, rodents, birds. It is easier to detect through the coat when stroking. After sticking, the parasite begins to inflate, forming a noticeable tubercle.

Tick ​​life

On the human body, the parasite sits for about 3 days, sated enough, disappears. At home, the female will be able to lay eggs, live, but the larvae will not appear, because there are no favorable conditions. Without food, an adult can live in an apartment for up to 8 months, but that is if it is not found. If there are pets in the house - a cat, a dog, they will be the next victims. In this case, at the slightest opportunity, the parasite will again fall into the wild, continue its prosperous life.

The tick sits on the body of a person without movement for about 30 minutes, then sticks in places where the skin is thinner - back, shoulders, neck, armpits, arms. As food arrives, the mite swells in a few days to sizes from a few millimeters to 3 cm. When a parasite is found, the person does everything possible to remove it.

On a note!

Without a head, a parasite shows signs of life for some time - it moves its paws, tries to crawl, but cannot live fully. Without a torso, if improperly extracted, the head remains in the body of the victim - a person, an animal. The probability of infection with borreliosis, tick-borne encephalitis increases.

Material for analysis

Experts recommend that after the parasite is detected and retrieved, it should be sent to a laboratory for analysis. When a dangerous virus is detected, a person is given emergency assistance in the form of a vaccine, the introduction of immunoglobulin.

Keep the body of a live or dead parasite in a glass can in a humid environment. Initially, a cotton swab dipped in cool water is placed on the bottom. During the day, the material should be sent to the laboratory.

In a situation when the tick escaped in the apartment, it should be properly vacuumed, since it is problematic to catch because of its small size. Throw the contents into a trash can on the street. In the absence of an epidemiological threat, there is nothing terrible. The wound heals without special treatment within a week. In the presence of an allergic reaction, the affected site is treated with antihistamine, antiallergic preparations.

On a note!

In a human body, a scabies or demodectic tick is able to live for years. Causes dermatological diseases - scabies, demodicosis. Determine their presence on the body in the laboratory, for analysis using pieces of dead skin from the affected areas - make scraping.

Parasites can live on plants, in bed, house dust. To get rid of these types of mites, you need regular wet cleaning, fresh air, sprinkling of indoor flowers, the use of special tools.