Tick Talk |
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Just about every animal has its intimate companions, its parasites. Linguists have suggested that one of the very first words in the human vocabulary was a term for flea or tick. Ticks are small external parasites found on birds, reptiles, and mammals. They are not insects but close relatives of mites and spiders. Among the reasons for removing a visiting tick are Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and at least 15 other common and not-so-common diseases.
Ticks, like crabs and lobsters, have a hard outside covering that must be periodically shed if they are to grow, so the life cycle for a tick is something like this: hatch, eat, shed, grow, find a new host, eat, shed, grow, find a new host, eat, copulate, lay eggs, die. At each stage they need a blood meal before going on to the next stage.
With the blood they pick up any microbes that might be on circulating in their temporary host and carry them to their next meal, thus spreading disease. This, of course, is not desirable since whatever tick climbs aboard you most probably got its last meal from something not human. The biggest problem ticks have is finding an appropriate host for their next meal. They can wait for months, years, or even decades for the right host to come along.
Ticks don't see well, but have an extremely sensitive and rapid response to carbon dioxide, which all animals give off, and to butyric acid, exuded from the skin and breath of many animals. Sensing a nearby animal, the dormant tick is instantly activated, even though it may not have moved for years.
Once aboard their host, ticks bury the front part of their head in the skin and begin feeding. It sounds as if it should hurt, but ticks don't want to be found and are able to anesthetize the area before they begin feeding.
If you discover an attached tick, it is best to remove it right away and apply a dab of antiseptic. The tick, having attached an important part of its head to you, is understandably reluctant to leave. Remember, you are dealing with a creature that hasn't eaten for perhaps ten years. Removal of ticks is probably best done with a pair of tweezers small enough to grasp only the head of the tick.
The sooner you remove a tick the better. It may take hours or days after attachment for the tick to transmit disease-carrying bacteria. Should symptoms such as a red, circular "bulls-eye" rash within days or weeks of tick bite, flu-like chills, fever, fatigue, headaches and dizziness, arthritic pain and stiffness, or swollen glands occur, consult a doctor immediately.
Ticks, like crabs and lobsters, have a hard outside covering that must be periodically shed if they are to grow, so the life cycle for a tick is something like this: hatch, eat, shed, grow, find a new host, eat, shed, grow, find a new host, eat, copulate, lay eggs, die. At each stage they need a blood meal before going on to the next stage.
With the blood they pick up any microbes that might be on circulating in their temporary host and carry them to their next meal, thus spreading disease. This, of course, is not desirable since whatever tick climbs aboard you most probably got its last meal from something not human. The biggest problem ticks have is finding an appropriate host for their next meal. They can wait for months, years, or even decades for the right host to come along.
Ticks don't see well, but have an extremely sensitive and rapid response to carbon dioxide, which all animals give off, and to butyric acid, exuded from the skin and breath of many animals. Sensing a nearby animal, the dormant tick is instantly activated, even though it may not have moved for years.
Once aboard their host, ticks bury the front part of their head in the skin and begin feeding. It sounds as if it should hurt, but ticks don't want to be found and are able to anesthetize the area before they begin feeding.
If you discover an attached tick, it is best to remove it right away and apply a dab of antiseptic. The tick, having attached an important part of its head to you, is understandably reluctant to leave. Remember, you are dealing with a creature that hasn't eaten for perhaps ten years. Removal of ticks is probably best done with a pair of tweezers small enough to grasp only the head of the tick.
The sooner you remove a tick the better. It may take hours or days after attachment for the tick to transmit disease-carrying bacteria. Should symptoms such as a red, circular "bulls-eye" rash within days or weeks of tick bite, flu-like chills, fever, fatigue, headaches and dizziness, arthritic pain and stiffness, or swollen glands occur, consult a doctor immediately.