Consequences of anti-tick spray getting on the skin. Acaricidal preparations for ticks, review of repellents, rules for wearing clothes

The danger posed by blood-sucking insects is constantly growing. IN last years The number of cases of tick-borne encephalitis has increased, and previously unknown borreliosis is spreading rapidly.

In such conditions, it is especially important to protect yourself from bloodsucker bites.

Products intended for this purpose are now sold on almost every corner. They poured into our market, posing a threat to the unprepared consumer. When purchasing repellents, few people think about the fact that by fleeing from one danger, we expose our health to another, no less serious one.

Repellents (from the Latin “to drive away, repel”) are chemical agents that repel animals: rodents, birds, and field pests. But the most widely used repellents are for protection against mosquitoes, ticks and other blood-sucking insects.

Repellents can work in different ways. There are products that mask the odor of human skin. Sometimes the smell of the mosquito itself during the mating season is used for this. The fact is that not all representatives of the mosquito genus thirst for human blood, but only pregnant females who need it to breed offspring. And these “ladies in position” avoid representatives of the opposite sex who are inclined towards intimate relationships. And at the same time, a person exuding the same smell.

Most often, there are repellents that simply make a person “inedible” by irritating the insect’s olfactory organ. Their smell is so unpleasant that a mosquito, circling around its prey, cannot land on the skin, much less bite through it.

The vast majority of commercial insect repellents are based on two options: DMF (dimethyl phthalate) and DEET (diethyltoluamide).

Due to its high toxicity and lower effectiveness, DMF is less and less used as the main component and is included in other repellents as an auxiliary agent.

The clear leader is DEET. This substance was developed for the needs of the American army back in the 1940s. After being officially registered as a repellent in 1957, DEET conquered half the world for half a century. It now occupies 60% of the global market for protection against blood-sucking insects.

“DEET is a toxic substance belonging to the second class of danger,” explained Irina ILYUKOVA, head of the toxicology laboratory of the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Hygiene. “There are other, less toxic active ingredients for repellents. But they are either less effective or much more expensive. That’s why the drugs DEET is almost not produced on their basis on our market. Russian enterprises and is the most accessible for manufacturers from the CIS countries."

When choosing a chemical insect repellent, we almost always choose DEET. Different brands drugs differ only in the concentration of this substance and the composition of auxiliary components: fragrances, “clogging” bad smell, substances that give the drug the desired consistency or are responsible for the rate of its evaporation.

By the way, the concentration of DEET (many manufacturers prefer to indicate the full name, which is not so familiar to consumers, “diethyltoluamide”) is the first thing you should pay attention to when choosing a repellent. The higher the concentration of the drug, the longer and more effective the protection will be. But the greater the risk to which we expose our health.

Mosquitoes are right to stay away from DEET. Their example has been partially followed in recent years by residents of Japan, Australia, the USA, England and some others. European countries. Products containing DEET are sold there with instructions that the product is very toxic and should only be applied to clothing. And children under 6 years old are prohibited from using it even in this “non-contact” form.

People often use insect repellents many times during the day, use them in extreme heat, and apply them to bare skin and even the face. All this amounts to slow self-poisoning.

But the worst thing is that repellents are often used to protect children, soft skin which is a tasty prey for mosquitoes.

As Olga Bobko, deputy director of the Center for Expertise and Testing in Healthcare, explained, any repellent, before entering the retail chain, receives a state registration certificate. At the same time, the compliance of the composition of the drug with the data specified in the recipe is checked.

Data on the toxicity of the drug and the method of its use must be indicated on the packaging.

Usually the manufacturer tries to put these warnings in very small print on the back of the package. As practice shows, most consumers either do not read these labels at all or do not understand what they mean.

Both consumers themselves and representatives of retail chains shamelessly violate the rules for storing repellents.

“Even certified products can become dangerous if storage rules are not followed,” says Irina Ilyukova, head of the toxicology laboratory of the Republican Scientific and Practical Center for Hygiene. “This is especially true in extreme heat.”

Chemical repellents should be stored at a temperature no higher than +25 degrees. At higher temperatures, DEET may behave unpredictably under these conditions. At best, the substance will disintegrate and the drug will become ineffective. However, when exposed to heat, it can acquire more toxic properties than the primary form. Therefore, buying drugs from the shelves, where they are stored in the open sun, is very dangerous in the summer.

And after purchase, you need to take measures to ensure that the product does not overheat. If it is 30 degrees outside, it is better to avoid using repellents altogether, unless you carry it in a cooler bag.

What danger awaits us if we use repellents incorrectly?

Foreign studies over the past two decades have shown that DEET is poisonous not only to insects. Once in the body of warm-blooded animals and humans, it can damage nervous tissue.

“DEET has a long-term effect,” explained Irina Ilyukova. “This is especially dangerous for pregnant women. The use of repellents based on DEET, especially on early stages pregnancy, can lead to damage to the fetus, including very severe damage, including death. It is dangerous to use such drugs to protect small children."

Experts warn that drugs should never be applied to the face. Dripping with sweat, they can get on mucous membranes - in the eyes and mouth - and lead to severe poisoning. Lubricating your hands can result in the same thing. The drug can enter the body with food, even in an adult. What can we say about small children who constantly put their fingers in their mouths?

Symptoms of DEET poisoning include skin irritation, drowsiness, and headaches. In severe cases, gait and breathing disturbances, disorientation and toxic encephalopathy, and even paralysis of motor muscles, respiratory paralysis and coma may occur. Of course, serious consequences can only occur from large doses of the substance, which cannot be obtained when using a repellent. But taking into account the fact that 17% of DEET applied to the skin enters the bloodstream, it is still not worth abusing such products.

A large number of people experience symptoms of DEET poisoning without knowing it and attribute their exposure to repellents to other reasons.

If DEET poisoning with severe damage to the nervous system is still an exceptional case, then painful allergic reactions to repellents are not so rare.

“Both adults and children come to us if they experience itching, redness, or scratching after applying repellents to their skin,” says Svetlana Bobkova, head of the 2nd cosmetology department of the Clinical Center for Plastic Surgery and Medical Cosmetology. “This doesn’t happen very often, but, I think, it’s more likely because people with such symptoms rarely go to the doctor, trying to “wait out” the symptoms or cope with home remedies. People facing such troubles should remember that continued use of the drugs that caused them can be dangerous: allergies have. the property increases with further contact with the substance that caused it."

The risk of a painful reaction to repellents is especially high for people who already suffer from any types of allergies: to certain odors, pollen, medications, chemicals. Such people should choose repellents marked “hypoallergenic”, but they do not provide complete safety.

Anyone, especially a child, can suddenly develop allergies to the most unexpected substances. The components of repellents are very active - otherwise they would not perform their function. Constantly inhaling the odor they emit is a risk factor in itself.

One of the symptoms of an allergic reaction to repellents is a dry cough that occurs in a person after using them. If you do not pay attention to it, the cough may intensify with further contact with the irritant and lead to asthmatic attacks.

However, while warning about the dangers of repellents, doctors are not calling for a complete abandonment of their use. International environmental organizations that took the initiative to ban DEET failed to achieve such a decision in any country. As the most effective and cheapest repellent, DEET helps protect against many of the dangers posed by blood-sucking insects.

Here, as they say, you have to choose between two evils. And the task of everyone who cares about their health is to choose less. The main thing is to know about the danger in order to avoid trouble.

“The use of repellents should be considered as a short-term measure in case of forced contact with insects,” warns Svetlana Bobkova, head of the 2nd cosmetology department of the Clinical Center for Plastic Surgery and Medical Cosmetology. “It is best to apply repellents to clothing, which should be removed and thoroughly washed immediately after there will be no need for protection. If a person decides to apply the product to bare skin, one must remember that pustular rashes, viral formations, irritations, dermatitis, minor skin injuries (abrasions, scratches) can cause serious complications."

Experts remind you that you should not use insect repellents more often than recommended in the instructions, and use them constantly for a long time.

“If it is possible not to use chemical repellents, it is better not to do this,” says Irina Ilyukova. “This is especially true for children. It is better to use alternative means plant origin. They can be found in any pharmacy and even in household. Thus, the ordinary clove, which every housewife has, has an excellent repellent effect. Of course, making homemade natural repellents takes more time than buying a tube of chemical repellent. But we're talking about about the health of us and our children."

How to use repellents

If mosquito protection is required for short term(1-1.5 hours), it is better to choose repellents with a low concentration of DEET (5-10%). For long-term protection and protection against ticks, the concentration of the substance should start at 20%.
. Increasing the amount of repellent applied does not improve protection, but increases the risk of side effects.
. It is better to use a disposable glove to apply repellent.
. Before applying repellent to your skin, test your body's reaction to it by applying a small amount to the crook of your elbow.
. If you need to protect your face, use a cream, gel or ointment, but never a spray.
. Do not spray repellent sprays indoors.
. Using sunscreen Apply cream first, then repellent.
. Do not apply products to your skin under clothing.
. Remember that DEET dissolves some plastics and synthetics. It may react with synthetic clothing.
. Never apply repellent to cuts, wounds, irritated skin, lips, or around the eyes.
. As soon as the need for protection will pass, immediately wash off the applied product.
. Do not wear clothes treated with repellents for a long time; change clothes as soon as possible.
. Do not use repellents more often than directed on the label.
. Do not use repellents containing DEET on animals. They may lick the fur, which will cause the repellent to get inside. There are special drugs to protect animals.
. If you have a reaction to the repellent, wash it off immediately with soap and water and consult a doctor.

More than 175 thousand Russians complained of tick bites this year. In Moscow alone, 60 cases of infection with tick-borne borreliosis were registered - a disease that is transmitted from a tick bite and affects nervous system, heart, joints, reports Rospotrebnadzor.

The five best tick repellents to help you survive the summer are ranked by the site.

How does it work: Moskitol is an acaricidal agent: it not only repels, but kills ticks. The drug paralyzes respiratory system tick. When an insect lands on treated clothing, it dies in an average of 5 minutes - during this time the mite has not yet had time to dig into the skin. The spray is applied only to clothing.

Pros: lasts up to 5 days, kills as well encephalitis ticks. Repels mosquitoes and midges.

Minuses: If the tick immediately gets on the skin, bypassing clothing, the product will not help. The spray itself, if it comes into contact with the skin, can cause redness and itching.

If a tick is not noticed, it can hang on a person’s body for a week until it drinks blood. Female ticks satisfy their appetite in an average of 5–7 days. Males - 10–12 hours after suction.

Nadezhda Kolyasnikova

How does it work: another effective acaricidal agent, which is often used by tourists and hikers. When a tick comes into contact with a surface treated with this product, it is paralyzed. The tick cannot stick to the skin, stops moving, and then falls off the clothing and dies.

Pros: Can be applied to clothing and travel equipment. It lasts for an average of 5 days (up to 15 days if you store clothes in airtight packaging) and has a neutral odor.

Minuses: Contraindicated during pregnancy and breastfeeding, may cause allergies upon contact with skin.

How does it work: ABOUTFF- repellent. It can be applied to both skin and clothing. Repellents only repel insects with an unpleasant odor, but do not kill them. For 100% protection, you can use both a repellent (on the skin) and an acaricidal agent (on clothing).

Pros: protection against ticks 4–5 hours, does not leave greasy stains on skin and clothes.

Minuses: in about 10% of cases, the repellent does not stop the tick: the hungry insect simply ignores the unpleasant odor.

Ticks love soft places on the human body, where it is easier to attach themselves. These are folds in the groin and behind the knees, stomach, armpits, back of the thighs and the area behind the ears. The tick takes time to reach and burrow into the body. Good bite prevention is regular, once every 20 minutes, examinations of the body and clothing.

Nadezhda Kolyasnikova

Candidate of Medical Sciences, leading expert of the Center for Molecular Diagnostics CMD Central Research Institute of Epidemiology of Rospotrebnadzor

How does it work: Tick ​​remover – a device for safely removing ticks. Necessary for those who spend the summer outdoors, hiking or at the dacha - anywhere where you can’t immediately see a doctor. The device is similar to a mini nail puller: the ends are hooked under the tick's abdomen, and then, carefully rotating, the tick is removed.

Pros: Suitable for removing large and small ticks, can be used repeatedly.Minuses: if used carelessly, it can tear the tick into pieces (the proboscis will remain under the skin); it is inconvenient when removing ticks from folds and folds of the skin.

Hello everyone, Olga Ryshkova is with you. Today we end our conversation about ticks with information about chemicals ah anti-tick protection - aerosols. Previously, ticks threatened only residents of Siberia and the Urals, but in recent years they have appeared in the Middle Zone and in the North-West region of Russia. Ticks can even be found in a city park. It is best to avoid tick bites altogether. To do this, you need to take protection against ticks for humans on a picnic or walk. But which one should you choose?

There are three groups of aerosols against ticks:

• Repellent aerosols – repels ticks with scent; ticks do not like this smell and do not cling to clothes
• Acaricidal aerosols – paralyzing, killing ticks;
• Mixed repellent and acaricidal - both repellent and poisonous.

How to distinguish?

On the can, the manufacturer states whether it is a repellent or an acricide and must indicate the active ingredient.

Pay attention to the active ingredient.

In repellent aerosols, the active ingredient may be icaridin (CBD 3023) or diethyltoluamide (or DEET).

In acaricidal sprays, the active ingredient is most often alphacypermethrin or alphamethrin, and it is with these active ingredients that I recommend choosing an acaricidal aerosol. This is a poison that paralyzes the tick and it simply detaches itself from clothing. But here, too, it all depends on concentration, best option 0,2-0.25%.

Features of repellent aerosols.

Let me remind you that tick repellent for humans is a repellent substance and does not kill ticks. Despite the fact that some manufacturers or experts sometimes recommend applying these products to the skin, absolutely never do this. Firstly, these are always chemicals that are absorbed through the skin into the blood and can cause poisoning and severe allergic reactions.

Secondly, remember - there are no aerosols or creams that can protect against ticks when applied to the skin. If the tick has already got from clothing to the skin and feels the proximity of blood vessels, then the speed of its suction is so high that the toxic substances will not have time to prevent the bite.

When asked which tick repellents are best, I will answer that all repellent aerosols are ineffective and they quickly disappear. This is especially true for aerosols based on icaridin (CBD 3023), its protection lasts for an hour, maximum two. Aerosols based on diethyltoluamide (DEET) protect longer, 3-4 hours. If you stay in the fire for a longer period of time, repeated treatments are needed, but you cannot treat it on yourself, so as not to inhale chemicals, you need to take off your clothes, which is impossible in forest conditions. For effective protection against ticks, do not use repellents, but acaricidal aerosols

Features of acaricidal aerosols.

Acaricidal preparations for ticks are poisonous to ticks and much more effective means, providing long-lasting protection. But the active ingredients in such products are highly toxic and when treating clothes with them, protective measures must be observed, which I will discuss below.

Acaricides against ticks have a maximum of 20 minutes to paralyze ticks. The fact is that ticks are slow insects. They sit on a person and spend a long time choosing a place to bite into. This usually takes between 20 minutes and an hour. If the product does not poison the tick quickly enough, it is ineffective.

Which acaricidal aerosols are more effective?

How to treat clothes against ticks? The study was conducted by employees of the Gorno-Altai Rospotrebnadzor. 8 cans of acaricidal aerosols were purchased - Reftamid, Gardex, DETA, Taiga, Moskitol, Tornado, Komaroff and Tarol. All products work approximately the same way - they do not repel ticks, but kill them. Eight signed sheets of paper were each treated with one product, dried and ticks were placed on them.

Three products completed their task before 10 minutes elapsed. The first group of drugs showed good efficiency. These are Gardex, DEET and Taiga.

The next group of drugs, Reftamide, Moskitol and Komaroff, had slightly worse properties. The death of arthropods occurred at 18 minutes.

Aerosols Tornado and Tarol took last place and were not effective enough. By the time they begin to act, the mites will already have time to attach themselves to the skin. Moreover, Tarol turned out to be the worst remedy in the tests.

Rating of anti-tick acaricidal aerosols.

According to Rospotrebnadzor specialists, Gardex, DETA and Taiga turned out to be the best and equally effective. The worst, practically ineffective are Tornado and Tarol.

Rating among users.

I studied user reviews about anti-tick sprays for people. Users do not recommend mixed aerosols; they contain both a repellent and a killing active substance in half the concentration, which reduces both effects. It is also not recommended to use a combined product with simultaneous action against mosquitoes, midges and ticks, considering that they contain insufficient concentrations of the active anti-tick agent. It is not recommended to use repellent aerosols, since they quickly erode and their validity period is much shorter than that of acaricidal aerosols.

The vast majority use and believe that the best anti-tick spray is Reftamid-Antiklesch, but the 15-day validity period indicated on the can of the drug is considered unjustified and it is recommended to re-treat clothing before going out into the outbreak.

Good reviews of the aerosol Klesh-Kaput and Breeze-Antiklesch. On clothes treated with Breeze-Anti-Tick spray, the tick loses its ability to move and falls off after 1 minute. 5 hours after treatment, the tick disappears after 3 minutes, and a day later - after 4 minutes.

Follow the conditions for using acaricidal aerosols.

Do not use acaricidal or repellent spray on a suit with synthetic fiber, not because it will have a worse effect, but chemicals can ruin such a suit.

• Before applying the spray, be sure to shake the can 3-5 times.
• Treat clothes only outdoors. Remember that the active ingredients of acaricidal aerosols are toxic. It is strictly forbidden to perform treatment on humans.
• The jet should be directed in the direction of the wind, and the clothes being treated should be kept at a distance of 20-25 cm from an outstretched arm with a spray can.
• You need to apply at least 20 g of product per 1 square meter of clothing until lightly moistened.
• Then be sure to dry the clothes for at least 2 hours and put them on underwear.

Under the influence of acaricidal preparations against ticks, they do not die immediately. The concentration of the substance is selected so that a person does not suffer chemical burns. Some manufacturers do not add product to the cans. Determine how full the can is by lightly shaking it in your hands.

If you are going on a long hike and there is no way to collect many bottles, you can save money. How? Since ticks live in grass, do not live on trees and do not fall from above, you can only apply the product to your pants. The main places for ticks to enter are either through the fly or through the waistband; then it is more difficult for it to find a place; it must crawl through the entire top. To save money, it is enough to apply it from the knee to the waist. Then the can will last for a long time.

Before going on a hike, treat outer clothing, then fold it and put it in a bag for a day, where it is soaked in the product. Acaricidal protection against ticks lasts a long time and does not wear off like a combination product or tick repellent aerosols for people, which wear off in a few hours. There should be underwear under the treated suit; it should not be worn on a naked body. With this treatment, 2 cans will be enough for a 2-month long hike.

Folk remedies against ticks.

Simple and free, using improvised means.

• One clove of garlic eaten is enough for a day to prevent ticks from biting; they don’t like the smell of human sweat with garlic. You can use garlic oil, garlic water.
• Ivan-tea (willowherb, weepingweed) collected in cellophane bag, crush so that the juice stands out. Cut, heat in the oven until the color of tea leaves, do not burn. It's even better to dry it in the sun. And drink it like tea. Can be brewed raw or eaten as a salad. Repels ticks.
• The tick does not like the smell of lavender oil or geranium oil.
• The tick does not like strong odors - gasoline, kerosene, tar. Tar oil - grate and put in pockets. Birch tar is sold in pharmacies.
• Herbalist Mikhail Fadeev recommends brewing black root (black carrot), the smell of which resembles the smell of rhubarb, and spraying it on clothes. Decoction onion peel, decoction black elderberry– leaf and color are also for spraying. Consume milk thistle oil.
• Very good remedy- This is formic acid. Place a regular handkerchief on the anthill and then wipe yourself with it.
• To protect dogs, leave 100 g of vodka + 2 g of vanillin (not vanilla sugar) for 7-10 days. Spray the dog's limbs, belly and withers. The tick simply does not sit down, does not cling.

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Spring is a good time, even I, a convinced fan of winter, cannot but agree with this. It’s especially pleasant in early May - when it’s warm, everything turns green, blossoms and smells fragrant. The soul yearns for the forest - or the river -. And everything would be fine if it weren’t for the ticks.

Vile creatures darkened the spring and negated the pleasure of it. And the most unpleasant thing is that they force nature lovers to stay at home!

But progress does not stand still. If earlier there were two remedies against ticks - “Taiga” and vaccination, now a whole arsenal of trouble-free chemistry and special clothing have been developed against them. Using all this, you can create a reliable barrier and successfully resist the attacks of bloodsuckers.

This article is devoted to all modern tick repellents, in which I will tell you in detail what their composition and action are, their pros and cons, and which product can rightfully be called the best.

Types of tick repellents

Based on the nature of their action, anti-tick products are divided into:

1. Repellents. Chemical substances, repelling ticks with smell.
2. Acaricides. Poisons that affect ticks.
3. Mechanical. Special traps and barriers on anti-encephalitis suits that prevent ticks from entering open areas bodies.

Important: ultrasound

I did not include ultrasonic repellers in the list of products. It's a dark matter with them. Manufacturers promote them as guaranteed protection against ticks, but tests carried out by tourists showed the complete uselessness of these devices!

“Squeakers” brought close to the tick did not have any effect on it. As he continued to crawl up his pants, he continued to crawl.

But such trinkets cost a lot of money and have a lot of disadvantages: they can only be returned before they are turned on for the first time (the button is covered by a warranty sticker, which will definitely have to be torn off), and many of them are made “disposable” - it is impossible to change the batteries in them! After the device stops working, you have to buy a new one, throwing away a decent amount of money. The most indecent conclusions suggest themselves.

In general, ultrasound is a different thing. It often gives people headaches - for example, mosquito repellers, of which there are a lot today, have “proven” to be effective.

Therefore, it is better to use what really works and has been tested over the years - chemistry.

Anti-tick medications from the store

Photo 3. Tick repellents on a store display (aerosols).

All chemicals against ticks - both repellents and poisons - are mainly presented on department store shelves in aerosols and sprays. Occasionally, special creams and lotions are sold (specifically against ticks) - but they only come with a repellent. And in specialized (gardening) stores you can buy concentrated emulsions of acaricides - anti-mite poisons.

Modern means of protection against ticks are produced by several companies - both foreign and Russian, among which the most famous are trade marks « Gardex», « Mosquitol», « Reftamide», « Data», « Medilis», « Off", etc. All of them have been on the market for a long time and produce high-quality products.

A tourist should make a choice in favor of liquid products - aerosols, sprays and concentrates, as they are sprayed onto clothes. In the fight against ticks, this is very important: bloodsuckers land on a person at approximately the level of the grass and then crawl upward along his clothing - this is where they need to be intercepted. But creams and lotions stain clothes; they can only be applied to the skin, but such protection is not enough.

Most liquid products have a concentration designed for an adult; the packaging of these often states that these drugs cannot be used by pregnant women and children. Products for children come with a special composition or with a reduced concentration of the active substance.

How do aerosols differ from sprays and concentrates, and what are their advantages and disadvantages? Let's look at it in detail.

Aerosols

They are produced in pressurized cans - where the active substance is mixed with propellant - liquefied gas, thanks to which the mixture is not only ejected with a powerful jet when the valve is pressed, but also disperses well.

• Advantages: Easy to use and very even application.
• Flaws: relatively high price, the cans require careful handling - they cannot be dropped or damaged in the slightest degree, heated, used near open fire sources, and their contents run out quickly (cans for liquids under pressure are never made large, and the active substance has to " share space" with propellant).

Sprays

They are containers with an aqueous or alcohol solution of a substance; the mixture is thrown out into them using a miniature pump in a stopper, which is driven by a person.

• Advantages: Compared to aerosols, they have greater capacity, the price is slightly lower, sprays are safer to use and do not require particularly careful handling.
• Flaws: almost none, if you don’t take into account the fact that sprays are applied less evenly than aerosols, and their nozzles often leak, causing the product to get on your fingers.

Emulsions-concentrates

Photo 4. Sample of anti-tick product in the form of a concentrate.

Designed not only for application to clothing, but also for spraying in tick habitats. Sold in bottles. The concentration of the active substance is 20-25% - this is a lot, so before use they must be diluted with water. Spray - using a spray bottle.

Before using the emulsion, you must carefully read the instructions and then follow safety precautions - as when working with any poisons.

• Advantages: Concentrates are the best anti-tick remedies in terms of price and quality - they last a long time, they are several times cheaper than aerosols and sprays, and are superior to them in terms of killing power.
• Flaws: they require “fussing” with dilution, the presence of a sprayer, and they also have the highest toxicity of all products - they must be used carefully. May have a pungent odor.

Crayons

I will mention them too. Previously, when acaricidal aerosols, sprays and emulsions were not on sale, tourists used the “Mashenka” pencil (which is actually against cockroaches). The crayon substance was applied to clothing. According to those who tried it, it seemed to help. But there is no exact information yet about whether “Mashenka” works on ticks.

Then special crayons appeared - against ticks, which cost a little more than "Mashenka" and were sold less often. And lately they are not visible in stores at all - they clearly cannot compete with liquid products, which are plentiful on the shelves.

• Advantages: very cheap and easy to use, without any smell.
• Flaws: get clothes dirty. It is impossible to treat all of it with crayons - only narrow zones, which makes the protection less effective compared to liquid products that can be used to treat everything.

The editor-in-chief of our portal (the one named Ryboyedov) tested “Mashenka” on his own “encephalitis” skin several times while fishing in the 90s of the last century. I had to wash it, yes, but I didn’t see a single tick. But our local guru used crayons together with the Soviet “Taiga” - with which he generously “doused himself” - maybe this explains the effectiveness.

Substances: repellers and tick destroyers

When purchasing chemical anti-tick products, you need to study their composition - this way you can protect yourself from purchasing an ineffective or unsuitable product (believe me, there are such things). You can also estimate the approximate “lethality” of a chemical based on its composition. To understand all this, you need to know what substances are used there, and what their required concentration should be. I will describe them now.

Repellents - a pacifist's choice

These substances are good at repelling ticks, but using them alone is not recommended. And here’s why: well, the tick sensed that its “food” smelled bad, it jumped off, but after a short time it climbed onto a blade of grass again and was already waiting for its next victim. This is like letting go of a terrorist who is up to no good and preparing a bomb - instead of shooting him.

Still, poisons are more effective in this regard, so it is better to use repellents together with them - as additional protection. By the way, repellent-based products are the only ones that can be applied to the skin.

"Deta"

Rice. 1. Diethyltoluamide molecule (C 12 H 17 NO).

Legendary diethyltoluamide, aka “deta”, aka “N,N-Diethyl-3-methylbenzamide” in scientific terms. Contained in the bulk of repellents against ticks, mosquitoes and other evil spirits.

Previously, it was believed that “deta” affects the olfactory organs of bloodsuckers, causing them to temporarily “lose their sense of smell” and cannot find their prey by smell. But recent studies have shown that boogers simply do not like the peculiar “aroma” of this substance. How else can we explain its successful effect on ticks? They find their owners not only by smell, but also by infrared radiation.

• Advantages: trouble-free action, relatively low toxicity for humans - can be applied to the skin, quite tolerable smell (with fragrances).
• Flaws: Not long term action (on average 5 hours), some manufacturers “raise” the price of the products too much, and they also cannot be used on synthetic fabrics, because “deta” is an excellent solvent for plastic and some polymers.

Be sure to pay attention to the concentration of diethyltoluamide in sprays and aerosols - it should be at least 30%! Only then will the product repel ticks.

If the concentration is less, it may not work. The duration of action of the repellent also depends on it: 30% “deta” will work for 4-6 hours, 100% - about half a day.

Other substances or DIY repellents

How did our ancestors fight against blood-sucking insects and ticks? Usually - tar or vinegar. They have a different, but persistent odor that boogers cannot stand. Today in the literature there are many recipes with these two substances. But not only tar and vinegar were used in the fight against bloodsuckers - products prepared from special plants were also used. It is better to devote a separate article to this topic.

Attention! Vanillin, which some home-grown “experts” also recommend as an alternative to industrial products (usually in the form of vodka tincture) - completely useless against ticks! This is confirmed by numerous tests conducted by tourists. Vanillin not only does not destroy ticks, but does not even repel them!!! Don't be fooled by lies!

But apply folk remedies It is better against ticks when it is not possible to get industrial ones. For example, when a person suddenly found himself in nature. In short, this is rather a choice not of a tourist, but of a survivalist.

Acaricides - a radical response

All substances that poison ticks belong to the group of synthesized neurotoxins-pyrethroids. Today, three similar poisons are used, which are part of acaricidal aerosols and sprays. All of them are of contact action and affect the nervous system of the tick. They also have a nice feature - they last a long time. As the manufacturers of the products assure, after one treatment, clothing gains the ability to repel tick attacks for two weeks - provided that it is stored in an airtight plastic bag without washing.

Acaricide substances are toxic to humans, therefore can only be applied to clothing. It is prohibited to spray them on the skin!

Rice. 2. Cypermethrin molecule (C 22 H 19 Cl 2 NO 3).

On sale it is mainly presented in concentrates, but is occasionally found in some aerosols and sprays, and can be included in anti-tick crayons.

The required concentration in the prepared solution is 0.2%, the same applies to aerosols and sprays.

• Advantages: Tick ​​protection products based on a solution of this substance are commercially produced and sold in almost any gardening store. They work flawlessly: having touched the poison applied to clothing, the ticks almost immediately begin to thrash chaotically, then unhook and fly backwards, where they jerk for several minutes and are guaranteed to die.
• Flaws: a pungent chemical smell (somewhat reminiscent of the stench when dry fuel smokes), but you can get used to it. Another disadvantage is that the tick becomes even more dangerous in the first five minutes after contact with the substance than it was before. He seems to realize his doom, and, sensing the approach of death, he tries to take revenge on the person. If it happens to be on the body at this moment, it can instantly penetrate - without the characteristic search for the place where the skin is thinner. This is because cypermethrin, at the very beginning of its action, excites the bloodsucker’s nervous system, which puts it in an extremely aggressive state.

Cypermethrin can be called the best remedy from ticks in terms of “price-quality”.

Alpha-cypermethrin

The most common acaricide today, it is part of popular anti-tick aerosols and sprays, and can also be found in crayons. In terms of properties and characteristics, it is completely identical to cypermethrin - it differs from it only in some “filtering”.

Permethrin

Rice. 3. Permethrin molecule (C 21 H 20 Cl 2 O 3).

Included in some aerosols and sprays with alpha-cypermethrin - as an additive. And it’s very good if it is present - this means that the product will destroy ticks “on two fronts at once” (usually there is at least 0.15% permethrin there). There are also sprays based on permethrin alone - in them its concentration should be at least 0.5%. The same requirements apply to a diluted concentrate of this substance. Permethrin spray and emulsion are easiest to find at the pharmacy - there they are sold as remedies for lice and scabies.

In terms of effectiveness, this substance is more powerful than the previous two. And it lasts longer on clothes.

• Advantages: water resistant. As experts say, it can withstand several washes. Has no smell. It also acts on the tick somewhat differently than cypermethrin and alpha-cypermethrin - it does not excite it, but immediately begins to amaze it. Ticks do not become “berserkers” from permethrin.
• Flaws: a good concentrate is more difficult to buy (rare in regular stores, but is available in specialized stores that sell chemicals for the agricultural industry), and is expensive.

Permethrin appears to be the most effective substance for tick control.

Anti-mite clothing

There’s probably no point in telling anyone about pants tucked into socks and a jacket tucked into pants—these are basic clothing requirements for a spring hike. Of course, there are advantages to this “form of clothing” - a tick definitely won’t crawl into your pants or under your jacket. But nothing will prevent him from getting to the tourist’s open head (if the clothes are not treated with chemicals first).

Therefore, in the spring it is better to go outdoors in a special anti-encephalitis suit (popularly called “encephalitis”). Without the use of chemicals, it already provides minimal protection against ticks, thanks to the following elements:

A tourist in an anti-encephalitis suit, sprayed with an acaricidal composition, becomes too tough for the tick. Of course, provided that there are no holes in the suit and all its parts are tucked securely and where they should be.

Photo 5. Protective elements of the anti-encephalitis suit: 1 - fold on the chest, 2 - fold on the sleeve, 3 - cuff.

Such suits are sold in any store that sells workwear and clothing for fishermen and hunters.

When choosing a suit, preference should be given to those models that have all of the above elements of protection against ticks, as well as those that sewn from natural cotton fabric- this is extremely important. The suit will have to be treated with chemicals that can corrode synthetics - that's one thing, it must also breathe, otherwise the tourist will smear in it - that's two things.

Tactical prevention of tick attacks

Photo 6. A tick on a blade of grass, waiting for a victim.

As scientists say, ideal, one hundred percent protection against ticks is only possible in a sealed biological protection suit. Chemistry and “encephalitis” are a good barrier, but still the tick always has a tiny chance of getting through.

One day, a tourist I knew upon returning home discovered a tick in his overalls. How he got there remains a mystery, because the legs of his trousers were well tucked into his shoes. The tick was probably able to find a small, unnoticeable hole in the clothing.

Therefore, it is better to play it safe and behave this way in nature in order to generally minimize the chances of meeting a bloodsucker.

You need to be careful:

1. Without unnecessary need, do not go into bushes or places where there is shade and the ground is always wet - ticks adore such places. By the way, along the banks of rivers and reservoirs, this is the norm (fishermen, watch out!).
2. Do not climb into dense grass (especially with wide leaves). Such lawns, even in sunny places, can harbor a small but dangerous number of ticks.
3. Avoid tall grass. Ticks can sit high on it, and they have a chance to get on top of a person - thus overcoming the chemical barrier on his clothing. The actual height to which a tick can rise is one and a half meters. Here, too, everything depends on the height of the potential “game” found in that place. If cows are often grazed or other large animals walk around, then this nuance must be taken into account.
4. Many tourists note that there are always more ticks in deciduous and mixed forests than in coniferous forests.
5. Don’t forget to periodically examine yourself and your comrades!

Video application

“For dessert,” I recommend watching a very informative half-hour video from famous fishing gurus Shcherbakov brothers— about the use and field testing of the most universal anti-tick remedy, and about how to behave correctly in “tick” areas.