Every spring people wait for the onset of warm weather. Country picnics and even ordinary walks in city parks can end in trouble - a tick bite. 
Many people consider them insects, but this opinion is incorrect. Ticks are arthropods from the class of arachnids and belong to animals. There are 54 thousand species in total. They are distributed almost everywhere, even found in Antarctica and the Arctic. They live on animals and plants, in the soil.
Most of them are harmless to humans. Dangerous species include all representatives of ixodid ticks. This genus contains carriers of serious diseases: tick-borne encephalitis and borreliosis. Ixodids are diverse, with more than 650 species in total.
Below is a rating of the most dangerous ticks for humans.
10. Doggy 
Its other name is brown mite. Distributed in Europe and Asia, North America and North Africa. Lives in deciduous and mixed forests.
The period of activity of dog ticks is quite long (beginning of April – end of October).
They are small in size, reaching 2.5 mm in length. The body is oval, with a dense plate at the top - the scutellum. In males it covers the entire back, in females only the front part. Color brown.
Many species of vertebrates fall prey to ticks. These can be reptiles, mammals, and people. The following diseases are transmitted: encephalitis, Marseilles fever, Lyme disease.
9. Caucasian 
This species belongs to the Argasid mite family. Widely distributed in the south of Ukraine. They choose mainly secluded places: rock cracks, cattle buildings. Particularly active in winter.
Caucasian ticks are the largest representatives of the family. Body length can reach 30 mm. It is oval, flattened. The cover is leathery, without scutes. The color is grayish, yellow-brown.
Ticks prefer livestock and poultry. They are very dangerous for animals. They often attack en masse and cause entire epidemics. They are only interested in a person if there is no other food available.
The Caucasian tick is a carrier of endemic relapsing fever, borreliosis, and hemorrhagic fever.
8. Red chicken 
The tick is distributed throughout the world. It lives in bird nests, cracks in wooden surfaces and animal bedding.
Very small, length – 1 mm. It is almost impossible to notice it. Various colors - black, white and grey.
Contrary to their name, chicken mites are not only interested in birds; they can also attack people. By the way, this is one of the six types of bird mites that can bite a person. Poultry farmers are at high risk.
Red chicken doesn't kill people. It is not a carrier of serious diseases, but it can affect the quality of life. In most cases, dermanissiosis occurs - a skin disease. Severe itching, inflammation, fever - the symptoms are very unpleasant.
7. Blackfoot 
The black-legged tick is common in the United States and the forest-steppe zone of Europe. They prefer moist, wooded areas. The ideal place is a cluster of last year's leaves.
The size of a tick can be compared to a sesame seed. It got its name because of the characteristic color of its limbs. Body dark in color: brown or black.
The tick parasitizes lizards, mice, and migratory birds. It is often found on white-tailed deer. It can also attack humans. Its peculiarity is that it can remain on the victim’s body for up to five days. The black-legged tick is active and hardy, and is not afraid of frost.
The consequences of a bite for a person are very sad. In addition to Lyme disease, babesiosis and granulocytic anaplasmosis can occur.
6. Australian Paralytic 
Endemic to Australia. Found in forests and bushes. Australian paralysis ticks crawl onto plant leaves and wait for their prey to appear.
The size of the Australian paralytic can be compared to the head of a pin. Color – light brown.
The preferences of this type of tick are mammals, mainly dogs and bandicoots. However, they do not disdain humans.
The first symptoms after the bite will appear on the fourth day. Chills, fever, fever, muscle pain. Paralysis begins. If help is not provided in time, death cannot be avoided. In the 20th century, 25 people died from tick bites.
5. Pavlovsky 
Habitat: Western Siberia and the Far East. Lives in grass, adapted to areas inhabited by humans. It attacks not only from tall grass, but also from short grass.
In appearance it is very similar to its “relative” - the taiga tick. They are modest in size, the largest ones reaching 3 mm in length. Color brown.
Pavlovsky mites are active in spring and summer, especially in May and June. They are very dangerous. Encephalitis, bacterial and viral infections may occur. By the way, you can become infected not only through a bite. There is a risk of encephalitis from pets when consuming milk and other products.
4. Pasture 
Distribution area: Central Asia, Southern Europe, some islands of the Mediterranean Sea. They prefer deciduous shrubs, pastures, and steppes.
Ticks are large in size, reaching 7–8 mm in length. They have pronounced sexual characteristics. Females differ in appearance from males by the presence of a chitinous shield.
Pasture ticks parasitize cattle. They will not refuse to feast on the blood of other domestic animals, as well as predators, hares and hedgehogs. People also fall into this list.
The list of diseases that pasture ticks carry is quite impressive: plague, encephalitis, brucellosis, tularemia, typhus and others.
3. Lugovoy 
Distributed in Germany, Poland, England.
Similar to pasture ticks. Also large, can reach a length of 8.5 mm. Their difference is the white spots on their back.
Ticks are active in early spring, peaking in May, August and September. They do not like strong humidity and excessive dryness, so they rarely attack in June-July.
Large domestic and wild mammals often become victims of meadow ticks. They also parasitize small animals and humans.
Diseases: listeria, erysipelothrix, brucellosis.
2. Lesnoy 
Range: Europe, North-West Africa, Crimea, Caucasus. Lives in moist mixed and deciduous forests with dense grass. Active in the warm season, peak – late May, August, September. In the south, ticks attack even during the cold season.
Forest ticks are small, maximum length 4 mm. Color – copper-brown.
They feed on all types of mammals, reptiles and birds. It is a carrier of tick-borne encephalitis, paroxysmal rickettsiosis, listeriosis and other diseases.
1. Taiga 
It is often found in Belarus, Finland, the Baltic states and other areas of Western Europe, Japan. It lives in forests, bushes, meadows, green areas of cities, gardens and parks.
The taiga tick is similar to the forest tick in many ways. They reach 3.8 mm in length and are brown in color.
Omnivorous. It doesn't make much difference to them who they attack. Their victims include mammals, reptiles, birds, and people.
They are carriers of encephalitis and other infectious diseases.
Interesting fact: ticks do not have eyes, but they have an excellent sense of smell. They are able to sense animals or humans at a distance of 10 m.
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