Tick Removal

There are specific steps to follow for tick removal to avoid increasing the risk of contracting a tick disease. Here are some "tick removal do's and don't's" recommended by Time for Lyme, a non-profit Lyme disease advocacy group.

1. Avoid squeezing the body of the tick, especially with your fingers. A tick's body contains fluids that may include infectious organisms. Bacteria from the tick can infect your skin.

Applying a hot match or petroleum jelly to the tick also can cause the tick to regurgitate more bacteria into the bite or the wound. For the same reason, don't apply harsh solvents like nail polish remover

2. Use fine-point tweezers to grasp the tick firmly as close as possible to the spot where it's attached. This helps to remove all parts of the tick, including the head. Shield your fingers with rubber gloves, tissue, or a paper towel. Pull directly upward and don't twist or jerk the tick.  

The Red Cross offers tick removal kits that include special tweezers which have a magnifying glass attached to them. These provide increased precision when removing ticks.

No matter how careful you are, some of the tick's mouth parts may break off and stay in your skin. If this happens, sterilize a needle, pin, or sharp-pointed tweezers and dig the remaining body parts out. Sterilize the area, just as you would when removing a splinter.

After you've removed the tick, immediately wash and disinfect the site. Also wash your hands and any tools you used to remove the tick.

3. Keep the tick so it can be tested, but remember, ticks can be hard to kill. Use careful techniques in handling the tick, so it doesn't get away. Store the tick in a small vial, jar or zip locked plastic bag. Testing the tick is an important step in diagnosing Lyme disease.

4. Watch the tick bite and be especially mindful of your general health for symptoms of Lyme disease. See the article on Lyme disease symptoms elsewhere in this website. Contact your doctor if you experience any of these symptoms.

6. Remove ticks from your pets as soon as possible. Use adhesive tape to nab a crawling tick, then fold the adhesive to suffocate the tick (see #1 above about the dangers of tick body fluids). If the tick has already burrowed into your pet's skin, fine- point tweezers to carefully remove it.

 Picture: tick removal in in doctor's office