The electromagnetic field (EMF) is known to influence functions of the nervous, cardiovascular and reproductive systems of many animals, including ticks. The aim of this study was to test the behavior of ticks in the presence of radio-frequency EMF. For testing, 160 adult male and 140 adult female unfed Ixodes ricinus ticks were used. Individuals were exposed to 900 MHz EMF in the Radiation–Shielded Tube (RST). Ticks were attracted to the irradiated area. This effect was significantly stronger for ticks infected with Rickettsia spp., suggesting that pathogens can alter the ticks’ response to environmental stimuli. These results lead to the question of whether man-made EMF may have an impact on I. ricinus activity and, as such, be a contributing factor to the ongoing changes in the distribution of the tick and its pathogens currently observed in Europe and elsewhere.

众所周知，电磁场（EMF）会影响许多动物的神经，心血管和生殖系统的功能，包括tick。这项研究的目的是测试在存在射频EMF的情况下tick的行为。为了进行测试，使用了160只成年雄性和140只成年雌性未饲喂的蓖麻x。个体在辐射屏蔽管（RST）中暴露于900 MHz EMF。虫被吸引到被照射的区域。对于感染了立克次体的壁虱，这种效果明显更强，表明病原体可以改变壁虱对环境刺激的反应。这些结果导致了一个问题，即人造EMF是否可能对蓖麻毒素有影响。 因此，它是欧洲和其他地方目前观察到的壁虱及其病原体分布不断变化的一个重要因素。