The black tick got its name because of its color close to black. The parasite belongs to the ixodid tick family, can carry pathogens of infectious diseases - borrelosis (Lyme disease), tick-borne encephalitis and bartonellosis.
Tick-borne encephalitis, characterized by loss of appetite and interest in the environment, fever, tremors of the limbs or the whole body. In the future, there is a violation of coordination of movements and inactivity of a sick animal or person.
With bartonellosis, the following symptoms develop: hyperemia of the eyelids and weakness of the lower extremities. In severe cases, fever and anemia are noted.
Borrelosis signs appear 10 days after infection. Its symptoms are malaise and decreased appetite, possibly the appearance of depression, rashes and lameness.
Black ticks
There is no such thing as a "black tick" from a scientific point of view. And these arachnids received such a name among the people due to their color. In fact, they are a species of ixodid ticks, there are more than 60 types of them. And in order to know how to distinguish a tick from other insects, you need to familiarize yourself with its appearance.
The size of a black tick on the background of a match
Black mites are medium in size. In a hungry state, their bodies reach a length of about 3-5 mm, but after saturation, the size of insects can increase by about 10 times. Black ticks have 4 pairs of limbs. On their head is a cutting-sucking proboscis, which they feed on. The tick bite is generally not felt, because the tick injects an anesthetic substance into the wound cut by it, and only then enters the proboscis and begins to suck blood from the punctured blood vessel. The gnawing mouth apparatus of insects helps them gnaw through a wound of the desired size.
Reproduction of red beetles
Formed red calf mites are characterized by weak sexual dimorphism. This type of mite is characterized by a very complex form of metamorphosis. It was the result of the fact that some phases of development perform the function of nutrition, while others have completely stopped feeding. They have turned into a kind of formative resting phase and thus resemble the pupa of an insect.
Unlike insects, which have a single pupa, red beetles are characterized by an alternation of morphogenesis and feeding phases. An immobile prelarval form hatches from eggs that are laid in the soil layer. Then, consuming the yolk supply from the intestines, it turns into a larva.
Red calf mites are characterized by the similarity of the external reproductive apparatus in both sexes. Spermatophore fertilization without copulation has been preserved. The genital apparatus is equipped with a lid, a protruding cone, and three pairs of genital tentacles.
Habitats of black mites
There are about 200 species of ticks, but almost all of them, including black ticks, like to be in the grass, bushes, and trees. They are often found in the forest, in darker and more humid places. The most active period of tick exposure are the months of May and June. During this period, they are actively looking for a victim for themselves.
Ticks have suckers on their paws, with the help of them they firmly adhere to wool or clothing past a running animal or a passing person.Then, for 3 hours, they try to find a suitable bite site, with thin skin. Therefore, they move to the neck, head, upper back. It is impossible to say exactly how long a tick has been drinking blood from a dog or a person, but it can be approximately on the body from 2 days to 12 days, it all depends on the age of the insect. When the black tick is completely saturated, it disappears on its own.
Bloodsated Black Tick
Coloring and external structure
Since it is the larvae of red beetles that are active parasites that pose a certain danger to humans, the description of many species is based precisely on the features of the morphology of the larvae.
On a note
For many species of redling beetles, the imago (adult) has not even been described, since it is not so easy to find an adult in the soil. In addition, given the diverse structure within the same species (polymorphism), it is extremely difficult to compare an adult soil inhabitant and a blood-sucking larva, and in some cases it is impossible. To draw up a complete development cycle and describe each stage, scientists need to catch larvae in nature and breed red beetles in the laboratory. This is a difficult and painstaking task that does not always end in success. That is why, among the ticks, red beetles are considered one of the least studied.
As noted above, the stage of the life cycle of the redling mite, at which it is dangerous to humans, is the stage of the larva.
The larvae of some species of redling beetles are very small, they are not always easy to see with the naked eye: the body length of hungry individuals is approximately 300 µm, and of satiated ones - 600-800 µm.
The body of the larva is not divided into segments, it looks like a bag. In hungry individuals, the integuments are collected in folds, which, when the tick is saturated, straighten, thereby increasing the possible volume of absorbed hemolymph or blood.
Above, the red mite is covered with bristles and hairs (trichobothria). Their number and placement on the body is strictly defined and is species-specific. The dense arrangement of bristles and numerous folds on the body of the larva look like velvet, so the red beetle is also called the "red velvet mite" (see photo below):
In general, the color of the integument can be very diverse:
- with a bright red back;
- dark red;
- in addition, the mite may have a reddish belly and a dot on it.
The intensity of the color depends on how saturated the tick is. The color of the blood that the red beetle sucked is visible through the translucent integuments of the body, therefore the well-fed larva is colored more intensely than its hungry relatives.
On the dorsal side, the body of the tick is covered with a shield (dense, wide chitinous formation). It usually has two long setae - sensilla. They perform the function of touch and help the small parasite find its future prey. It is sensilla and other trichobothria located in different parts of the body of red bovine mites that perform the main sensitive function.
On a note
All bristles of redling mites are located at a certain angle to the body, which allows to reduce resistance during movement and increase the parasite's maneuverability. In addition, the mite is flat, and in the aggregate, all these factors contribute to the fact that redling beetles can very quickly move along the surface of the host's body among wool and hair, while firmly clinging to individual hairs if necessary.
A pair of primitive eyes are located at the base of the scutellum - they react only to light, and the parasite only senses the change in the light / shadow gradient.
It is also useful to read: Meadow mite (Dermacentor reticulatus)
Larvae, unlike nymphs and adults, have not 4, but only 3 pairs of walking legs, so they can be confused with some small reddish bug.
The legs of red ticks are segmented, consist of seven sections and end in sharp claws, with the help of which the parasite clings to the wool or clothing of the future host.
The slit anus (excretory pore) is located on the belly. The genital opening is missing.
On a note
The coloration of redling beetles does not play a primary role in the identification of these parasites. There are many red insects that look like tick larvae. Moreover, it will not be easy for an unprepared person to carry out such an identification - any small bug with a red bottom (belly) may seem visually similar to a red beetle larva.
Moreover, a number of tick species are reddish, but do not belong to the Trombiculidae family. For example, if you notice a reddish mite on an apple tree that grows in the area, or on an orchid, lemon in the room, then most likely it is not a red-bodied mite, but a spider mite. This is a completely different systematic group of parasites: they feed on plant sap, and pose absolutely no danger to humans.
Among the red beetles there is no division, for example, into citrus or apple mites, but they may well live in the garden on the ground. If you notice a small velvety red tick on a cat, then there is a high probability that it is a red beetle.
What is the danger of black ticks
Few people really understand why the black tick is dangerous. His bite is a lot of trouble for humans and animals. Ticks carry diseases, including life-threatening ones.
A black tick bit a man
Danger to people
A person after being bitten by a black tick can become infected with two of the most dangerous diseases:
- Encephalitis. Not everyone can immediately understand the cause of the ailment, the symptoms of encephalitis are similar to the flu. Headaches, general weakness, joint discomfort, vomiting, fever, and fever may occur. Lack of proper treatment can lead to brain damage, the appearance of an epileptic seizure, and the development of paralysis. People with this disease of a neglected nature rarely survive.
- Lyme disease. Symptoms of the disease are similar to encephalitis. Only complications are given mainly to the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal and nervous systems.
Danger to animals
Black tick bit the dog
If a tick has bitten a dog or cat, then they can be exposed to three main diseases:
- Bartonellosis. This disease can be identified by the emerging weakness of the hind legs, inflammation of the eyelids, fever, anemia.
- Borrelez. It is possible to suspect this disease if, 10 days after the bite of a black tick, the dog is sluggish, sudden depression, refusal to eat, a rash, and lameness periodically occur.
- And the most common disease is tick-borne encephalitis. Symptoms such as loss of appetite, lack of interest in others, fever, body tremors, urinary retention, and movement coordination disorder may indicate this problem.
Often the question arises for pet owners: "Are all ticks dangerous for dogs or only black ones?", Because they love to jump in the grass. In fact, dogs are mainly attacked by three types of ticks: ixodid, canine and grazing.
The problem of detecting all dangerous diseases in humans and animals is the manifestation of symptoms only a few weeks after the bite, when everyone already forgets about the incident with the tick. Therefore, the malaise of a person or a four-legged friend is practically not associated with a black tick bite.
Demodex: treatment and solution of the problem at home
A person's appearance is his reflection in the eyes of others, relatives and friends.Any problems with his skin on his face brings noticeable discomfort and constant tightness. The disease, which is caused by the active reproduction of the subcutaneous tick, is hard to miss. Multiple bumps that do not go away on their own and are constantly inflamed are a manifestation of a subcutaneous parasite. Treatment of demodicosis with folk remedies involves the use of only natural ingredients, which significantly reduces the risk of allergic reactions on damaged skin. Time-tested homemade remedies will help get rid of the parasite.
Homemade masks for the treatment of demodicosis
Traditional medicine has long been helping a person to cope with various dermatitis and irritations on the skin of the face or body. The components of homemade ointments or masks can be made at home, from plants and products that a person is confident of. Herbal decoctions, tinctures, juices and pulp in the fight against demodicosis should have disinfecting, anti-inflammatory properties. Homemade products will help soothe the skin of the face and neck suffering from a subcutaneous parasite:
Treatment of demodicosis at home does not exclude drug therapy prescribed by the attending physician. Each product, prepared according to the exact recipe, is applied no more than three times a day to avoid allergic reactions.
To prepare an effective blue clay mask, you need a minimum set of ingredients. Purchased pharmacy blue powder, half a glass of warm purified water and apple cider vinegar (the acid in the recipe can be replaced with herbal decoction) - all you need for a homemade mask. Treatment of Demodex with folk remedies at home is as follows:
An alternative version of the clay mask is prepared with the addition of hydrogen peroxide and three drops of iodine. To treat skin affected by ticks, healing masks are used twice a week.
Treatment of Demodex with folk remedies by collecting herbs is suitable not only as a basic therapy, but also as a prevention of infection with a subcutaneous tick in the future. Plants that are used dried can be purchased at the pharmacy or prepared by yourself in the summer. To prepare a soothing healing decoction, you will need:
The collected herbs are mixed and then poured with boiling water. The broth must be infused for at least 30 minutes in a warm room. After, the product should be filtered and taken three times a day before meals. The course of herbal decoction treatment is six weeks.
Tar soap is used to wash the affected areas of the skin, as well as a mask that can be done two or three times a week. Due to its anti-inflammatory effect, soap with a characteristic odor is used to eliminate all kinds of dermatitis. To prepare a homemade mask, you need to grate a bar of soap, then dilute the shavings with purified water and mix thoroughly. You can add hydrogen peroxide or 6% vinegar to the soap solution. The mask is applied only to areas of the skin affected by the subcutaneous mite. As soon as the soap mixture dries, the mask is washed off with cool water.
Homemade ointments for demodicosis
In folk medicine, there is one single rule - do no harm. If demodex, which is treated at home, does not respond to lotions and masks, it is advisable to use homemade topical ointments. In combination therapy or separately, ointments help to quickly get rid of the subcutaneous parasite.
To prepare an ointment based on celandine, a fresh plant and sunflower oil are used. The proportions of the homemade remedy - a glass of celandine for the same part of the oil component.The thick liquid should be poured into a clean, transparent jar and left in the sun for several days.
After that, the thickened oil is carefully filtered from the green leaves of celandine and again poured into a clean dish made of dark glass. It is necessary to store the ointment in the refrigerator, otherwise the homemade remedy will soon deteriorate.
Before use, the mixture is added to thick sour cream, and then applied to cleansed skin. The procedure is carried out at night, and the ointment is not washed off. The celandine product is suitable for the care of sensitive eyelid skin, because it does not cause allergic reactions. From subcutaneous mites, a mixture based on a medicinal plant and sunflower oil is used for lotions in the nose, where the parasite often lives.
An ointment prepared in advance will serve as an alternative to pharmacy products and will be stored throughout the winter.
An equally popular remedy for subcutaneous ticks is a pork fat ointment prepared at home. For a homemade remedy you will need:
Two simple ingredients help fight a parasite that affects human well-being. Pork fat (lard) must be melted and mixed with crushed sulfur, which can be purchased at the pharmacy. It is not difficult to buy fat, because it is sold in any market or in a butcher's shop. For two tablespoons of lard, there are 4 grams of a pale yellow powder. Bring the finished mixture to a boil (keep it on fire for about 3 minutes), and then cool it, after pouring it into a glass container (bottle, jar or glass). Homemade ointment should be used daily (at night, and in the morning, the remnants of unabsorbed fat are washed off with soapy water).
At the initial stage of therapy using homemade products, people who are used to the fragrances of purchased creams may find the smell and appearance of homemade ointments unpleasant. Exceptionally natural ingredients have a sticky base and smell of vegetable or animal fat, but the effect of the funds cannot be compared with purchased pharmacy ointments, therefore, having tuned in to a decisive fight against subcutaneous mites, it is necessary to show patience and endurance.
Herbal tinctures in the fight against disease
Herbal tinctures, which are most often used in traditional medicine, have a mild effect and are used after the main treatment, as a prophylaxis. Compresses to combat demodicosis, which relieve the main symptoms of the disease:
The choice of a medicinal product is not limited to traditional medicine. Means that help get rid of the sebum-eating mite are combined with pharmacy tinctures. In order to combine different types of therapy, you must first consult with your doctor.
Body care and prevention of demodicosis
Taking care of the skin affected by the parasite requires more than simple care. Only an integrated approach to the problem that has arisen will allow you to get rid of ticks completely. Rules that will protect the skin of the face from additional damage:
Getting rid of demodicosis is difficult, but this task is feasible for everyone who cares about their own health. The subcutaneous mite creates many problems and makes a person ashamed of their own appearance. To combat demodicosis at home, tinctures, decoctions, and homemade ointments, which have long proven their own effective action, are suitable.
How to get a black tick correctly
The best way to get a tick is in a medical institution, by doctors using special tools. If it is not possible to seek medical help, then you should pull out the tick with a thread. To do this, you need to make a loop out of it, throw it over the tick and take it out with careful movements from side to side. If you do not know how to twist a tick in a dog, then removing this arachnid from the skin of a pet can make mistakes. In no case should you:
- twist the tick;
- pull his torso with tweezers;
- drip oil or gasoline on it, etc.
From these manipulations, the tick can become ill, it will suffocate and die, in the future it will be very difficult to pull it out. If the tick is incorrectly or not completely pulled out, then a black ball under the skin can be seen at the site of the bite. In the future, it can become inflamed. Therefore, it is advisable to seek help in removing a black tick from specialists.
Dangerous animal diseases
The most common among dogs is piroplasmosis, a tick-borne disease. Without special analysis, the dog has almost no chance of survival. The fact is that the disease has very insidious symptoms. In some cases, changes in behavior are completely invisible, in other cases, the disease progresses rapidly and after a few days it becomes the cause of death.
It looks like a tick photographed with a microscope
This course of the disease makes it almost impossible to make a correct diagnosis without special tests. How the disease proceeds depends on many conditions, among which the existing immunity of the animal. As you know, the more thoroughbred the animal, the lower its natural defenses of the body. The big bulldog of "pure blood" from the point of view of nature, the creature is much more vulnerable and weaker than an ordinary little mongrel.
Where to go after a black tick bite
It is imperative that everyone needs to know where to go if they are bitten by a tick. The main thing after self-removal of the tick does not need to be thrown away.
Mite in a test tube
The insect must be taken to the laboratory on the same day to investigate the presence of diseases it has. If it is found that the tick has any kind of infection, then the attending physician will prescribe a treatment that will need to be passed. Otherwise, the disease will become chronic, the nervous system, heart may be affected in the future, and perhaps all this will lead to disability.
The virus of dangerous diseases is found in the saliva of a black tick, which appeared from previously bitten sick animals. Having bitten a person or an animal, along with saliva, a virus enters the wound, which slowly develops for about a month and does not make itself felt.
Donating blood for analysis
Even if laboratory tests have shown that the tick was not contagious, it is better to play it safe and check your health. You will need to donate blood, but not immediately after the bite, but after a few weeks, to allow the virus (if any) to develop and be detected. A local therapist can tell you where to donate blood after a tick bite.
Medical value
Red mites in the ground do not pose a danger to humans, but larvae that appear on the surface can bite. Small creatures are not selective in choosing a host, therefore they often crawl onto the body of people who are in nature.
The red beetle sticks in a few minutes, remains on the body for several days, then disappears. The very moment of the bite is not felt, but after a while there is swelling, redness, itching. It is not easy to spot the velvet mite due to its microscopic size. Even in a well-fed state, the body of the larva does not exceed 1 millimeter. Red beetles stick in the armpits, on the neck in the hair, groin, chest.
The skin is completely restored in 7 days, without causing serious consequences, does not require special therapy. The risk of a threat to health increases with a massive attack - an allergic reaction appears, numerous eczema.
On a note!
In tropical countries, red beetles spread a dangerous infection - tsutsugamushi. The first symptoms appear after 7-14 days, starting with general malaise. Fans of exotic countries should be especially careful. The greatest risk of infection is in Asia. Rodents are carriers of the infection.
Precautions
In the spring-autumn period, in warm weather, it is difficult to refuse a country walk, outdoor recreation and walking on the grass.But it is in this grass that deadly pests are found - mites. They can cling to shoes, clothing, and then move higher. To protect yourself from a tick bite, you need to completely cover your body. Tuck the trousers into the socks, and the jacket, the jacket into the trousers. The cuffs of hooded outerwear should fit snugly around the wrist.
Ticks become active when the air temperature is above 5 ° С, the optimum temperature for them is + 20 ° С. Therefore, it is better to wait for the onset of hot days and only then go out into nature.
Do not pick flowers in the fields and sniff them. There have been cases when ticks climbed into the respiratory tract, and then it is very problematic to get them out of there.
Protection methods
The greatest effect is achieved by the fight against rodents, as well as the destruction of red bovine mites with the help of chemicals and special means. Nice results
shows the treatment of premises with dust, DDT emulsion and hexachlorane at the rate of 0.5 - 1 gram of active active ingredient per square meter of the treated surface.
To protect against attack, it is necessary to saturate clothes with repellents. Diethyltoluamide, hexamide, dimethyl phthalate, dibutyl phthalate are widely used. At least 40 grams of the drug must be applied per square meter of fabric. Immunoprophylaxis is allowed.
Development cycle
During the breeding season, the velvet red beetle mite lays 30-50 eggs per day in the soil, which for the entire time is about 400 to 900 pieces. After embryonic molting, the larva is released from the egg. After a week, she is able to feed on her own. At first, the hemolymph of insects and arachnids serves as food for it.
Then, after passing through the next stage of dormancy (pupae), the larva turns into a deutonymph. It is the same predator as the adult redling mite. The largest number of them is observed in July-August.
After a certain time, another stage of dormancy begins, after which adults appear.
