Watch Out for Ticks! 13 Important Facts

28. Oktober 2025

3 Min. Lesezeit

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The tick season is beginning (and in many places it’s already in full swing). How dangerous is a tick bite? Is it necessary to take the dead insect for a test? How can you protect yourself from the bite?

Wichtigste Erkenntnisse

The tick season is beginning (and in many places it’s already in full swing).
Do ticks bite only in the woods?
Do ticks fall on people from trees?

Für wen das ist

Für alle, die Bakterielle und virale Infektionen über ticks, first aid erkunden.

Warum es wichtig ist

Dieser Artikel hilft dir, dich schnell zu orientieren, und führt dich dann zu einer Sammlung oder Serie, wenn du weitermachen möchtest.

Artikelautor

Dr. Helga

Allgemeinmedizinerin

Do ticks bite only in the woods?

Ticks also inhabit meadows, roadsides, and even city gardens and parks. The prolonged spring, warm and rainy summer are especially favorable times for them.

Do ticks fall on people from trees?

Ticks live in grass and tall bushes. The lower the grass, the safer that place is for humans.

Where do ticks bite most often?

Most often, the parasite sneaks under a pant leg and makes it's way higher, sucking on the leg or in the groin area. A person does not feel the bite, because together with its saliva, the tick injects a substance with an analgesic effect. Bites to the scalp, armpits, and areas behind the ears are common. After every walk in nature, you should carefully inspect your entire body and head: a tick does not bite immediately — it usually takes several hours.

How should you dress to reduce the risks?

A good option is to tuck your pants into socks and wear high boots, a tight-fitting hat that hides hair, and gloves over long sleeves. In short, the ideal attire would be a spacesuit. But either way: the less access the tick has to your skin, the better.

How effective are tick sprays?

No spray guarantees that you won't be bitten — it only reduces the likelihood of a bite. DEET(diethyltoluamide)-based repellents have low toxicity, so they can be applied to the skin. The repellent effect lasts for about 2-3 hours. Combination products based on alpha-cypermethrin are lethal for ticks, but they can only be used to treat clothes and cannot be applied to the skin.

What repellent should you treat your yard with?

There are chemicals that you can use to treat the lawn, making it safe for the whole season. However, it is not recommended to carry out the treatment yourself, as the exact dilution of the active substances is important. Additionally, there is a risk of inhaling poisonous vapors. After treatment, the area will be unfit for people and animals for a week.

What should you do if a tick bites you?

You need to remove it as soon as possible. The longer the insect is in the skin, the higher the risk of infection. It is best to go to an outpatient clinic for professional help, as a part of the tick can remain in the body if removed incorrectly.

If you cannot get to a doctor quickly, grab the parasite with tweezers as close to the skin as possible and pull slowly. Try not to tear off the mouthpiece of the tick. If you do tear it off, you can remove the remains with a needle, like a splinter.

What can I get sick with?

Ticks carry several diseases including tick-borne encephalitis, Lyme disease (borreliosis), babesiosis, ehrlichiosis, and others.

Should a tick be tested?

Testing a tick for tick-borne infections has no clinical significance. Once you know that the tick is "healthy," you don't have to feel nervous. But even if the tick was infected, it doesn't mean that you will necessarily get sick.

Is it necessary to take any medicines right away?

There is no evidence of the effectiveness of any medications used before the onset of symptoms. You just need to monitor your body's condition in the weeks following the bite.

What symptoms should be alarming?

Pain, redness, localized fever at the bite site or in the body in general, enlarged lymph nodes, unusual rash, severe headaches. If any of these symptoms occur, you should see a doctor right away.

When can you be sure you do not have an infection?

If nothing unusual has happened after 30 days, you are not infected.

Is it worth getting the vaccination?

Yes, if you like to spend time outdoors, it is the surest way to protect yourself.

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