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Scientists have invented a new way to repel ticks. “They act like they’re drunk.”
A new tick repellent has been developed. Unlike existing ones, it is a spatial repellent. If it goes beyond the testing phase and is commercialized, it will be possible to carry it with you, instead of spraying the repellent on your skin or on your clothes.
The dangerous diseases that ticks can transmit need no reminding. Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis threaten residents of our climate zone not only in summer, but for most of the year. There are several ways to defend against ticks. The two most important are inspecting your entire body and clothing every time you walk outside, and using repellents.
The latter in the case of ticks are effective when sprayed on the skin and clothing. The arachnid must come into contact with the substance for it to act on it. The situation is different when fighting mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are also repelled by spatial repellents. That is, for example, coils, mats or electric dispensers that spray insecticide in the environment.
A new way to deal with ticks
It is not excluded that in the future we will also repel ticks in a similar way. The latest issue of the scientific journal PLOS One published an article describing a new invention. It was developed in the laboratory of…
