At the mention of ticks, most often peoplethey represent small blood-sucking insects, which are removed from the clothes or wool of dogs after a walk in nature. Some are also familiar with the microscopic invisible representatives of this order: a scabies tick or the causative agent of demodicosis. But there is another group of such insects, with which few people are familiar from the city dwellers, but nevertheless they also cause harm to humans. These are gamasid mites, parasitizing mainly on insects, rodents or birds. With a large spread, they can attack a person. The bites of these parasites cause serious trouble and can cause infections with infectious diseases.
Gamas pliers: general characteristic
Эти мелкие насекомые отряда паукообразных обитают everywhere. They are unpretentious and omnivorous. Most of these ticks are predators. He lives in the soil, bark cracks, under the leaves, in the mud and crevices of buildings. Most often gamasid mites eat small invertebrates, larvae, worms and decomposed organic debris. There are many of them in nature, and most people do not cause any trouble.
Но некоторые гамазовые клещи приспособились к parasitizing on large insects and even on vertebrates. Several such species have been studied now: 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 domestic animals and humans, feeding on their blood.
What do gamasid mites look like?Their photos are 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 the skin of humans or animals.
Where do these insects live?
Gamasid mites in the apartment may appearin different ways: from pet hair, from mice and rats, to the top floor they get from pigeons nesting under the roof. The most common are three species of these parasites, which cause trouble in their neighborhood.
- Mouse mites live on house mice, but canbite and man. They are dangerous only with a large number of rodents. Most often found in rural areas or on the first floors in old town houses.
- Rat gamasid mites are more common.They live on rats, house mice and other rodents. Often they attack cats and dogs, as well as humans. An animal can bring parasites on its fur, and they will multiply, settling behind plinths, in crevices of the floor or under furniture.
- Chicken mites are dangerous mainly for domesticbirds. In rural areas, poultry farmers often suffer from them, since chickens suffer less from multiple bites and may die. Very rarely, these types of parasites appear in the city: from pigeons, crows or other birds. Getting into the shelter of a person, chicken mites can feed on the blood of people.
What harm do these mites cause
Multiple bites of these arthropods causeallergic reaction: severe itching and irritation of the skin. 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 they bite, 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 humans,which is called gamazoidosis. These mites are not poisonous, but they inject a special protein when they are bitten, which causes skin irritation and itching. Traces last for about 3 weeks, causing discomfort to the person. Due to severe itching, such bites can be confused with scabies, therefore, before applying the medication, you need to properly diagnose. After all, preparations against scabies will be useless in the case of bites of gamasi mites. How to treat tick-borne dermatosis:
- First you need to remove all mites from the body, taking a hot shower, and clothing. It is also desirable to carry out the treatment of the premises and all pets living in it.
- Then it is recommended to treat the skin with a special anti-parasitic ointment, for example, sulfuric. But it is better if the drug is recommended by a doctor.
- To relieve itching, antihistamines are used, and externally - hormonal ointments, for example, Prednisolone.
Gamasid mites: how to get rid
When parasites are detected in the room or if there are signs of tick-borne dermatitis in humans and animals, special treatment should be carried out: deacterization and deratization.
- To prevent the entry of rats and mice into the room, it is necessary to seal all the cracks.
- Treatment with special liquid insecticides andacaricides are carried out mainly in places where rodents most often penetrate: in the bathroom and in the kitchen. Most of all, these drugs are effective at temperatures above 20 degrees.
- Be sure to handle litter pets and places where they like most to be. And the dog or cat itself must be washed with an anti-flea shampoo.
- If chicken mites have settled in the room, it is necessary to get rid of the birds' nests under the roof. If a parrot lives in an apartment, it is important to carefully treat its cage.
Measures to prevent the appearance of parasites
Especially people need to take care of this.living in rural areas. It is necessary to regularly treat the chicken coop with special powdered acaricides and prevent the rodents from entering the premises. In urban conditions, gamasid mites are less common, but you still need to know how to protect yourself from them. To do this, you need to follow the rules of hygiene, especially after visiting the forest park area, keep pets clean and their place to sleep. Regularly need to be treated with special flea zoo shampoos. It is necessary to prevent the entry of rodents into the room, which can be carriers of ticks. To do this, you need to close all the cracks and make sure that no new ones appear.
