Sound Alarm: Report Ticks with NABU to Track Diseases Amidst Climate Change
Conservation Group Urges Public to Report Encounters with Ticks - Report Ticks to The Nature Conservancy, say the authorities
Got a creepy crawly on you? The German Nature Conservation Association (NABU) wants to know! If you spot a tick, take a photo, and report it through Nabu-Naturgucker’s online platform. Pet owners should also report ticks found on their furry friends.
A wave of ticks has been washing over Berlin and Brandenburg, with sightings practically everywhere green spaces can be found, according to Stefan Munzinger, head of Nabu-Naturgucker. Now, it’s time for citizens to join forces with experts from the Veterinary University of Hannover to monitor the area's tick populations and how they’re adapting to climate change.
While warm weather may encourage some to venture outdoors, moderately temperate conditions and damp weather are actually ticks' preferred environment. Don’t toss your weekend plans just yet; you’re more likely to encounter ticks when the weather's less scorching.
The reason behind this tick-tarian data gathering is twofold: first, researchers want to determine how the castor bean tick and other species may adapt to climate change, and second, they’re working to create a more informed public prepared for interacting with these eight-legged organisms. Photos, preferably from the top and bottom, are essential to help experts distinguish between the various tick species.
A total of 20 tick species lurk in Germany, capable of transmitting diseases like Lyme disease and early summer meningoencephalitis (FSME). As climate change pushes ticks from Mediterranean and Southeast European regions towards our neck of the woods, the risk of encountering new pathogens increases.
Brandenburg, specifically the districts of Elbe-Elster, Oberspreewald-Lausitz, Oder-Spree, Spree-Neiße, and Frankfurt (Oder), are labeled as FSME risk areas. This disease, caused by viruses transmitted through tick bites, can be prevented with a vaccine.
By reporting ticks and participating in initiatives like the one being touted by NABU, you’ll help shape a safer, tick-free future.
- German Nature Conservation Association
- Berlin
- NABU
- Brandenburg
- Tick
- Germany
- Public Health
- University of Hannover
- Climate Change
- Citizens are urged to collaborate with the experts from the University of Hannover and the German Nature Conservation Association (NABU) by reporting tick sightings through Nabu-Naturgucker's online platform, as this environmental science data could help scientists predict how ticks may adapt to climate change and improve public health and wellness awareness about interacting with these organisms.
- With the rise in tick sightings in Berlin and Brandenburg, it's crucial for the public to understand the potential medical-conditions associated with ticks, such as Lyme disease and early summer meningoencephalitis (FSME), as climate change might bring ticks from Mediterranean and Southeast European regions to Germany, increasing the risk of encounters with new pathogens.
