The treatment of attacks by the ticks Ixodes ricinus in the selected areas in the Żywiec and Silesian Beskids (Silesian province – southern Poland)

Ixodes ricinus (castor bean tick) is a ruthless parasite with the greatest medical and veterinary significance out of all the ticks found in the Polish fauna. The research on the incidence and spread of this species was conducted in six selected research areas in the urban area of Bielsko-Biała and in the rural areas of Ujsoły and Złatna. Another variable covered by the research was the seasonal activity of I. ricinus in three selected research areas in Ujsoły. The researched locations include recreational areas near rivers, forests, and hiking trails. They are frequented by tourists and cyclists. In studies faunal a total of 60 tick specimens belonged to the I. ricinus and were collected with the flagging method. The ticks were stored in test tubes filled with 96% ethanol. The analysis focused on the parasite’s taxonomic position and developmental stages. During the observation of the seasonal tick activity, the parasites were placed in dry tubes. Once their taxonomic position and developmental stages were diagnosed, they were released into the wild (a total of 875 ticks were collected belonged to the I. ricinus). The observations and studies indicate the widespread and increasingly high incidence of this dangerous parasite, which means there is a high risk of tick-borne diseases in both urban and mountain areas of the Żywiec and Silesian Beskids.