It’s time to raise awareness of ticks, they’ve become much more common in UK in recent years, partly down to milder winters and the increase in deer population.
Ticks become a lot more active active at typical daytime temperatures about 15°C and above, which we’ve now reached.
The bite is undetectable, they inject some pain killer so they are usually found later.
Ticks can cause Lyme disease (bacterial) or worse, but less common, encephalitis (viral).
Ticks are around all year but more prevalent in summer, hence the reminder. They transfer to humans by contact with foliage, they don’t jump or fly.
If you get one it will look like a tiny black ball – depending how much of your blood it has gorged on! Most bites don’t lead to infection but if you subsequently develop flu-like-symptoms seek NHS advice: Lyme disease, encephalitis
Ticks should be removed by pulling with fine tweezers as close to the skin as possible. Disregard any “folk remedy” advice to try to “unscrew” them or use heat, alcohol or vaseline.
See the UK HSA document here it’s 26 pages but p17-18 are a good summary.
Wanted, dead or alive! There’s a tick surveillance scheme monitoring species and distribution in UK so if you successfully remove a tick you might like to send it there.
A doctor friend who now owns and manages a sizeable estate tells me he and his wife need to check every day they’ve been in the forest, they each usually get bitten once a week (easily removed with the appropriate tool). They only get the characteristic “bullseye” infected bite about 2% of the time and immediately treat with a week’s course of antibiotics. They consider the risk of Lyme’s disease small but it is so debilitating that any steps to avoid it are well worthwhile. The ticks are caught primarily through contact with vegetation – bracken being a prime candidate. You should also be alert to dogs getting ticks.