Why ticks do not bite everyone

“Bloodsuckers” bite some people more, while others can walk many times into the forest without ever being attacked by such parasites. By what principle, and who do not get bitten by ticks at all, and who is considered “tasty” prey.

Research scientists

Among tourists and nature lovers, judging by the reviews of those who were bitten by a tick, there are many myths about taste preferences ticks. To clarify such data, scientists in Novosibirsk conducted research. Their goal was: to identify those people whom the “bloodsuckers” most often choose as their sacrifice. For experiments, ixodic taiga ticks, which in the laboratory created the necessary conditions for experiments.

The main question was who prefers to bite parasites by gender. He was offered 2 tubes containing male and female pheromones. Experiments have shown that they give preference to a feminine aroma, i.e. ticks often bite representatives of the weaker sex. Moreover, both males and females reacted to female pheromones.

However, practice refutes these data, because men are exposed tick bites more often. This is explained by the fact that representatives of the stronger sex sweat harder, releasing more heat, ammonia and carbon dioxide, which attracts the “bloodsuckers”. After all, they focus primarily on the smell of warm-blooded creatures.

Thus, women in the forest form a signal field and this attracts parasites. However, ticks bite more men next to them, who have a more intense metabolism and emit a harsher smell.

Important!

According to scientists, ticks infected with the infection are actively looking for food, because the spirochetes that have settled in their bodies require additional nutrition and increase search activity. Therefore, parasites that carry in themselves encephalitis or Lyme diseasefind their victims faster. Moreover, both males and females can be carriers of diseases.

Do ticks like to bite drunk?

Another myth that claims that "bloodsuckers" can scare off the smell of alcohol, scientists absolutely refute. They consider this a delusion and an invention of those alcohol lovers who prefer to go into the woods for mushrooms while intoxicated and think that ticks do not bite drunk people.

According to biologists, arachnids do not react at all to the smell of alcohol. However, a person who is intoxicated loses vigilance or simply does not notice ticks on his body. Only a few days later, when they were already drunk and increased in size, he finds them on the body. This situation is very dangerous due to the fact that the infected parasite is able to transmit the infection during this time.

Blood cereal preferences

According to popular belief, bloodsuckers are able to choose a victim for themselves according to a certain blood group or Rh factor (positive or negative). Among tourists and mushroom pickers, it was believed that mosquitoes and ticks love the blood type 1 and 2, and those who have a negative Rhesus are chosen, but people from the 3rd and 4th are less likely to bite.

Scientists can only explain this by the fact that proteins in the blood of the 1st group are almost completely absent, which affects the consistency: it is less “thick”. This also applies to the 2nd blood group.Official statistics are not provided anywhere, but scientists disprove this statement. They believe that parasites choose a victim not by blood type, but by the smell of human sweat and exhaled carbon dioxide, which they record at a distance of 20 m.

Interesting!

The common belief that only female ticks bite is also denied by biologists. These arachnids differ in that they are sucked at different times. Females usually find a prey and attach themselves for a long time - 3-4 days. So much time is needed for them to form eggs in the body. And males usually bite and attach only for 20-25 minutes to replenish moisture and food.

Ticks love white clothes and perfume?

Another misconception that ticks do not bite everyone, and they prefer people in white clothes more, is denied by biologists. They consider this a fiction, because the “bloodsuckers” have no eyes and therefore cannot see what their victim is wearing. In the world around them they are guided by their sense of smell and touch and always creep in the chosen direction. However, on light clothing, they are most easily detected, which will prevent bites.

But parasites can distinguish floral smells, so people are not recommended to use different perfumes when visiting a park or forest, but it’s better repellentsrepelling bloodsucking insects.

Based on the above information, it can be concluded that for any trip to nature, it is recommended that everyone use protective equipment against bloodsucker attacks:

• put on closed clothing with cuffs and a hood, which will prevent ticks from entering the skin;
• it is better to use light clothing in order to notice the attack of any arachnid in time;
• use tick preparations (sprays, aerosols, ointments, etc.).

Observing these rules, you can not be afraid of the attack of the "bloodsuckers" and the possible infection with severe infections.