DON’T MISS
IamExpat FairIamExpat Job BoardIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Expat Info
Dutch news & articles
Bitten by a tick in the Netherlands? Check yourself for others!
Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy

Bitten by a tick in the Netherlands? Check yourself for others!

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:



Related Stories

3 beautiful butterfly parks in the Netherlands3 beautiful butterfly parks in the Netherlands
The first oak processionary caterpillars are almost ready to hatchThe first oak processionary caterpillars are almost ready to hatch
Pigs boiled alive at Dutch slaughterhousesPigs boiled alive at Dutch slaughterhouses
Poisonous caterpillar to strike earlier than usual this yearPoisonous caterpillar to strike earlier than usual this year
Poisonous caterpillar: More Dutch municipalities to fight it with naturePoisonous caterpillar: More Dutch municipalities to fight it with nature
“Letting your cat go outdoors without a leash is in conflict with EU rules”“Letting your cat go outdoors without a leash is in conflict with EU rules”
Gay penguin couple steal egg at Amersfoort zooGay penguin couple steal egg at Amersfoort zoo
The Netherlands could soon be experiencing an unprecedented plague of rodentsThe Netherlands could soon be experiencing an unprecedented plague of rodents
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat FairsWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
May 29, 2019
Mina Solanki
Completed her Master's degree at the University of Groningen and worked as a translator before joining IamExpat. She loves to read and has a particular interest in Greek mythology. In addition to this, she is an avid rower.Read more

With various public holidays coming up and the weather getting warmer, you may decide to venture into the great outdoors and get up close and personal with nature. Whilst this is a great way to spend one of the Netherlands’ sunny days, be sure to check yourself for ticks afterwards. And if you’ve been bitten, check for more bites, warns the Netherlands National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM)!

Check yourself for tick bites

According to figures from Tekenradar.nl, many people get more than one tick bite at a time. In fact, “almost one in five people report having two or more tick bites”, states Kees van Wijngaard, researcher at the RIVM. It’s that time of year as well, as around half of the reports of tick bites come in in June and July. So, if you’re planning on venturing outdoors, make sure you check yourself for ticks afterwards.

Don’t fool yourself into thinking there’s no chance you’ll be bitten, as you’re at risk of a tick bite all across the country. Researchers at the RIVM and Wageningen University, however, see large differences in the number of reports per region, with almost a quarter coming from Gelderland, crowning it the province with the highest number of tick bite reports. North Brabant and North Holland take second and third place respectively.

To check for ticks, pay special attention to the groin area, between the butt cheeks, armpits, backs of knees and behind the ears. Ticks are often found in these areas. The creatures themselves can usually be found in long grass and bushes, transferring themselves onto people or animals passing by.

What if you’ve been bitten?

Tick bites can cause Lyme disease, so it is important to remove ticks from your skin as soon as possible to reduce the chance of infection. Once removed, the area of the tick bite should be monitored for three months. If a red ring forms around the area, a blotchy rash or you have fever-like symptoms; the RIVM advises you go to your doctor. It should also be noted that a red ring does not form in all cases of infection.

Lyme disease is not the only illness ticks can carry either; it is also possible to contract tick-borne encephalitis, which causes inflammation of the brain. However, the probability of this is only one per 50.000 tick bites. What’s important to remember if you’ve been bitten is not to panic, not all ticks carry infectious diseases.

By Mina Solanki