Optimal conditions for tick activity occur at air temperatures of +15...+25°C with moderate humidity, says biologist Maxim Petrov.
This temperature corridor can be called the "comfort zone" for parasites: they become maximally aggressive, actively hunt, and reproduce rapidly. Humid weather additionally stimulates their activity — drops of dew or recent rain create an ideal environment for ticks to move around.
However, extreme weather conditions force parasites to hide. Intense heat (above +25°C) dehydrates ticks, making them less mobile. Direct sunlight is also unpleasant for them — ticks are rarely found in open sunny areas. Rainy weather and gusty winds compel parasites to seek shelter in the underbrush or cracks in the bark.
The active season, explains Maxim Petrov, has two pronounced peaks. The most dangerous period is the spring-summer surge. Overwintered ticks experience acute hunger and throw themselves into the search for "hosts" with doubled energy. It is during this time that the lion's share of bites and infection cases is observed.
The second wave of activity occurs in August-September, when the so-called "Indian summer" arrives. Parasites accumulate nutrients before winter hibernation, making them particularly aggressive.
"In summer (especially in July), tick activity noticeably declines. Heat and dry air create unfavorable conditions for their hunting," explains the biologist. "Many individuals during this period are busy reproducing rather than searching for victims. However, this does not mean that the danger completely disappears — ticks simply 'switch to silent mode,' hiding in shady, moist places: under foliage, in thickets, on the lower tiers of vegetation."
The end of the active season coincides with the onset of stable night frosts — usually occurring in October-November. When temperatures drop below 0°C, ticks lose mobility, seek shelter (forest litter, tree bark, crevices in buildings), and enter a state of anabiosis, slowing down all life processes.
In Latvia, the first attacks of ticks on humans are traditionally recorded as early as March. Be careful!
