The ecologist estimated the probability of ticks appearing on Christmas trees in the apartment

Ticks do not overwinter directly on coniferous trees, but they can get on Christmas trees under certain conditions and pose a danger to people and pets in the first days after installing the tree in the apartment. Andrey Frolov, co-chairman of the Union of Environmental Organizations of Moscow and editor-in-chief of the House of Nature bulletin, told Izvestia about this on December 23.

According to him, insects are activated when the temperature rises above +10... +12 degrees and, following their natural instinct, begin to crawl up the grass, bushes or trees.

"The risk arises if the Christmas trees were brought from southern regions, where premature tick activity could have already begun due to the warm winter, and if these areas are endemic for tick-borne infections. In this case, insects can end up on a tree and be brought into the house," the specialist said.

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Now ticks mainly carry borreliosis and spotted fever.

However, Frolov stressed that such situations are isolated and require the coincidence of several factors: the origin of the tree from the infected area and the abnormally warm weather there during the harvesting period.

For prevention, in the first couple of days after installing a live Christmas tree, it is recommended to inspect children and pets that may come into contact with the tree. According to the ecologist, even if the ticks were brought in, they quickly die in residential conditions, so the main danger exists only in the initial period. In general, Frolov considers such cases unlikely, especially when it comes to trees harvested in traditional northern regions, where ticks hibernate in winter.

"The main danger is not the bite itself, but the possibility of infection with tick-borne encephalitis or other infections. Therefore, if you find a stuck tick — which looks like a black dot with a swollen belly — you should immediately contact the emergency room. Specialists will not only remove the insect correctly, but also send it for analysis to determine the presence of pathogens," the ecologist warned.

On December 14, Maria Zolotareva, Candidate of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Biotechnology and Industrial Pharmacy at RTU MIREA, warned about the dangers of a live Christmas tree for health. According to her, there may be bark beetles, mold and allergens in a live Christmas tree.

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