FOREST SCHOOL  in French

Do ticks threaten children in a forest kindergarten?

Yes but…. No more than anywhere else, even at home.  Ticks feed on the blood of various animals, such as lizards, birds, mice, dogs, cats, deer and humans. That is why we can find ticks everywhere: in the forest, in the park, in the garden, in the playground and at home (if we have pets).  So, preventive actions should be part of everyday life.

Are there more ticks now than before?

Yes, but… we talk a lot more about them than 15 or 20 years ago.

Do all ticks transmit Lyme disease?

Not. Diseases transmitted by ticks are insular (endemic), i.e. in one forest, ticks can be infected with the disease, and 2 kilometers away all of them will be clean of microorganisms.

How can I check if ticks transmit diseases in my area?

At the voivodeship level, on the Sanepid website. According to the Provincial Sanitary and Epidemiological Station in Warsaw  areas with low and medium-low risk of tick-borne diseases in Warsaw include:  Wawerów Forest, Sulejówek-Grabina Forest, Bielański Forest - playground, Jan III Sobieski Forest, Łazienki Królewskie Garden, Mokotowskie Fields, Krasiński Garden.
http://wsse.waw.pl/aktualnosci-i-komunikaty/ostrzezenia-publiczne/uwaga-kleszcz-809

Can a child be vaccinated against tick-borne diseases?

A one-year-old child can be successfully vaccinated against tick-borne encephalitis.
According to the latest research, Lyme disease spirochetes are transferred from ticks to mice at the earliest after 24 hours of feeding.
Ticks transmit various diseases, not only Lyme disease, but also babesiosis, anaplasmosis, tick-borne encephalitis and others. Not every disease condition following tick feeding is Lyme disease, and treatments are different each time.  If you feel unwell, contact your doctor and daily prophylaxis and immediate tick removal is a must.

How to protect yourself from ticks?

The right outfit is long pants, socks, full shoes, a T-shirt tucked into the pants, and a hat for children (ticks wait for their victims max. 1m above the ground on the plants).

The color of the clothes does not matter. The lighter it is, the easier it is to see a tick on it.

Washing - up to 30% of ticks can be washed off during a shower.

Check the body daily and remove the forceps with tweezers.

Interesting facts from the discoveries of scientists:

- tick nymphs most often feed on humans - they are about 1mm,

- ticks most often enter the calves of adults and then migrate upwards

- Lyme disease spirochetes are transferred from ticks to mice at the earliest after 24h of feeding,

- repellants (synthetic and vegetable oils) repel ticks for max. 4h.

Children who are properly dressed and running are not easy prey for ticks. Don't get crazy about the fear epidemic in the media and advertisements for miracle drugs and drugs.
Preventive actions should be part of everyday life.

The answers were prepared in consultation with dr inż. Anna Wierzbicka  from the Department of Hunting and Forest Protection of the University of Life Sciences in Poznań