Giant ticks and tiger mosquitoes are appearing more frequently in Austria – experts sound the alarm.
Warm winter, hot spring and dry summer: climate change is slowly catching up with us, and its consequences are already being felt. Where mosquitoes used to cause hand-wringing only on warm summer evenings, they now buzz around in the air even during the day. A worrying trend can also be observed with regard to ticks: The giant tick is on the march.
Two giant ticks already found in Austria this year
First spotted in Austria in 2018, domestic conditions used to be too cold and dry. Nowadays, the giant ticks transported with migratory birds feel comfortable enough to also overwinter in Austria and go hunting early in the year – already two giant ticks could thus be found in Vorarlberg and Lower Austria in 2023, according to “Falter”.
Up to six millimeters long
The giant tick, also called Hyalomma marginatum, can grow up to six millimeters long – significantly larger than the common wood tick or the relict tick. And the giant tick’s hunting instinct also gives you the creeps: The crawling arachnid pursues its “prey” at a brisk pace for up to 100 meters. Anyone bitten by a Hyalomma should be careful, because it is considered a carrier of Crimean-Congo fever, which can be fatal in serious cases.
So, if you are visiting Austria this year, best to wear leggings when out walking in the meadows or by the lakes.
Source: Kronen Zeitung Translated from the German
Photo: Pixabay