In our departments. Lyme disease, encephalitis... Watch out! This is the peak of activity for bloodthirsty ticks.
Although it never really stops, the mite is particularly vigorous between May and June, especially in our region. In woods, public parks, private gardens, and meadows, it waits, lurking in the shadows, to feast on the blood of its host. This is annoying because it can carry diseases for humans and animals. Here are some tips to help you stay vigilant.
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The Ixodes ricinus (or sheep tick) is the most important tick in France due to its distribution and its role in disease transmission. Photo illustration Philippe Trias
After a sluggish spring, we're finally getting down to business: (a little) more sun, very mild, even warm temperatures. Weather conditions that give you wings and an irrepressible desire for nature.
Yes, but here's the thing. Lurking in the shadows, under dead leaves, or in tall grass, ticks with keen appetites are ready to pounce on skin and hair to satisfy their hunger. Especially between May and June, when they peak in activity.
But ticks bite. And this bite can cause diseases with serious consequences.
According to an analysis of 2,000 ticks that bite humans in France by INRAE (National Institute for Agricultural, Food and Environmental Research), 31% carry potentially pathogenic agents and 15% carry borreliosis, which is responsible for Lyme disease .
What makes the situation even more delicate is that, since tick bites are painless, they often go unnoticed. However, the more the tiny mite sucks our blood, the longer it stays in contact with us, the more likely it is to transmit the bacteria or parasite it may be carrying to us...
Knowing that this transmission generally takes 1 to 3 days, you must act quickly.
The tick all at once
- We talk about ticks in general, but there are at least 850 species worldwide. In fact, apart from the Arctic, they are present everywhere.
- Ticks belong to the arachnid family.
- Ticks digest their food outside the body , which is why they can transmit pathogens they carry to their hosts.
- There are two main groups: so-called "hard" ticks and "soft" ticks . In France, only the former represent a risk to humans or animals. They are represented by 41 species . The most widespread and most often responsible for the transmission of diseases is the ixodes ricinus tick or sheep tick.
- According to INRAE research, 48% of bites reported since 2017 took place in forest areas , 29% in public and private gardens, and 11% in meadows.
- The tick has three stages in its life : stage 1, it is a larva with only 6 legs. After the first blood meal of its life, it becomes a nymph (neither male nor female): this is its second stage.
After the second meal of her life, she reaches adulthood. The males no longer eat. They "content themselves" with fertilizing the females, who then take their last meal, detach from their host, lay eggs, and die.
- A tick can live from 3 to 5 years . It therefore only has three meals in its life. Each meal lasts on average about ten days.
Hence the importance of being vigilant when you walk in nature, picnic in a meadow or tend your garden... By applying simple preventive measures (covering clothing, repellent, etc.), but also by not hesitating to inspect your body after going out to risky places.
Since ticks prefer warm, moist areas of the body where the skin is thinner, look first at the back of the knees, groin, navel, lower back, inside of the elbows, under the armpits, back of the head and shoulders.
Children under 10 years old seem to be particularly affected. Monitor them closely.
The best tool: the tick remover
To remove a tick from the skin, the use of a tick remover is recommended.
Applying a product like ether is not recommended because it could cause the mite to regurgitate, which would increase the risk of infection.
If you don't have a tick remover, use fine-tipped tweezers. Be careful to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible, avoiding crushing it. If you can't remove it completely, go to your pharmacist or even your doctor.
After removing it, disinfect the sting area.
While tick activity peaks between May and June, the creature never truly rests, so you need to be vigilant year-round.
A participatory research programWith rising temperatures, new species are gradually appearing in France. Some carry new pathogens. For the same reasons, endemic ticks are expanding their range. In any case, it is important to monitor these developments closely.
Since 2017, in order to better understand the ecology of the arachnid and the potential risks to the health of animals and humans, INRAE has launched a participatory research operation: the Ci-Tique program.
More than 10,000 bites reported in Auvergne Rhône-Alpes since 2017Regardless of their region, French people can report tick bites, or even send the ticks that caused the bites.
Reporting can be done on the website www.citique.fr , on the TIQUE app or by mail. At the same time, the CITIQUE-TRACKER allows you to observe their number region by region.
Between January 1, 2017 and May 31, 2024, nearly 90,000 bites were reported: nearly 73,000 for humans, nearly 14,000 for animals, mainly dogs (7,412).
With 10,220 reports, Auvergne Rhône-Alpes occupies second place, behind the Grand-Est region (13,416).
Le Progres
