At the mention of ticks, most often people represent small blood-sucking insects, which are removed from the clothes or hair of dogs after walking in nature. Some are also familiar with microscopic invisible representatives of this order: the scabies mite or the causative agent of demodicosis. But there is another group of such insects that few of the city dwellers are familiar with, but nevertheless they also harm humans. These are gamasid ticks that parasitize mainly on insects, rodents or birds. With their large distribution, they can attack a person. Bites of these parasites cause serious trouble and can cause infection by infectious diseases.
Gamasid mites: general description
These small insects of the arachnid order live everywhere. They are unpretentious and omnivorous. Most representatives of these ticks are predators. He lives in soil, cracked bark, under leaves, in silt and crevices of buildings. Most often, gamasid mites eat small invertebrates, larvae, worms, and decomposed organic matter. In nature, there are many, and most do not cause a person any trouble.
But some gamasid mites have adapted to parasitize large insects and even vertebrates. Now studied several of these species: mouse, rat and chicken. As the names show, they live mainly in rural areas, but can also be found in city apartments, especially on the first and last floors. In this case, they attack pets and humans, feeding on their blood.
What do gamase ticks look like? Their photo is hardly familiar even to those people who suffered from their bites. The fact is that these insects are very small - from 0.2 to 4 mm, and their color is yellowish or brown. Therefore, it is very difficult to notice them. These mites are blood-sucking insects, but they do not live on human or animal skin.
Where do these insects live
Gamasid ticks in an apartment can appear in different ways: from the hair of domestic animals, from mice and rats; they get to the top floor from pigeons nesting under the roof. The most common are three types of these parasites, which cause trouble in their neighborhood.
- Mouse ticks live on house mice, but can bite humans. They represent danger only with a large number of rodents. Most often found in rural areas or on the ground floors in old city houses.
- Rat gammase ticks are more common. They live on rats, house mice and other rodents. Often attack cats and dogs, as well as humans. The animal can bring parasites on its hair, and they multiply, settling behind the baseboards, in the crevices of the floor or under the furniture.
- Chicken mites are dangerous mainly for poultry. In rural areas, poultry farmers often suffer from them, as chickens are less likely to die from multiple bites and may die. Very rarely, these types of parasites appear in the city: from pigeons, crows or other birds. Once in a person’s housing, chicken mites can also feed on human blood.
What harm do these ticks bring to a person?
Multiple bites of these arthropods cause an allergic reaction: severe itching and skin irritation. This disease is called dermanissiosis or tick-borne dermatitis. When combing, there is a high probability of infection and the development of severe inflammation. But, besides this, gamasid mites are carriers of dangerous infectious diseases. When bitten, they can infect a person:
- vesicular rickettsiosis;
- typhus;
- plague;
- Borreliosis
- tularemia.
All these diseases are very difficult and without timely treatment can be fatal.
Gamasid tick bites
They cause tick-borne dermatitis in a person, which is called hamazoidosis. These mites are not toxic, but they inject a special protein when they bite, which causes skin irritation and itching. Traces last about 3 weeks, causing a person unpleasant sensations. Due to severe itching, such bites can be confused with scabies, therefore, before using medications, you need to correctly diagnose. After all, preparations against scabies will be useless in case of bites of gamazovy ticks. How to treat tick-borne dermatosis:
- First you need to remove all the mites from the body, taking a hot shower, and from clothes. It is also advisable to carry out processing of the premises and all pets living in it.
- Then it is recommended to treat the skin with a special antiparasitic ointment, for example, sulfuric. But it is better if the doctor recommends the drug.
- Antihistamines are used to relieve itching, and externally hormonal ointments, for example, Prednisolone.
Gamasid ticks: how to get rid
If parasites are found in the room or if there are signs of tick-borne dermatitis in humans and animals, it is necessary to carry out a special treatment: deacarization and deratization.
- To prevent rats and mice from entering the room, all gaps must be closed.
- Processing with special liquid insecticides and acaricides is carried out mainly in those places where rodents most often penetrate: in the bathroom and in the kitchen. Most of all, such drugs are effective at temperatures above 20 degrees.
- Be sure to process the litter of pets and places where they like to be most often. And the dog or cat itself needs to be washed with anti-flea shampoo.
- If chicken mites have settled in the premises, it is necessary to get rid of bird nests under the roof. If a parrot lives in the apartment, it is important to carefully process its cage.
