Use fine-tipped tweezers to grip as close to the skin as possible. Pull straight upward with steady, even pressure.
Finding a tick on yourself is uncomfortable, and in these days where Lyme disease makes the headlines, often scary. The good news is that ticks are easy to remove and prompt tick removal can greatly reduce your odds of falling ill. It takes only a moment to do.
Get fine-tipped tweezers (pointed, not flat), and grip the tick as close to the skin’s surface as you can manage. Pull straight up with slow, steady, even pressure. Do not twist or yank. Steady tension is enough to remove the tick. Being too hasty can cause the tick’s mouthparts to break off and stay in the skin. If that happens, though, try to remove them if you can easily do so. If not, leave them alone, clean the area, and let them come out on their own the same way splinters would. Afterward, wash the site and your hands with soap and water or rubbing alcohol.
Dispose of the tick in alcohol, a sealed bag, or down the toilet. Avoid crushing it between your fingers. If you're concerned about tick-borne disease, you can always seal it in a bag with the date written on it. Identified ticks and known bite dates are useful if you have symptoms later.
As for folk remedies, avoid the following: petroleum jelly, nail polish, dish soap, and use of a hot match. They don’t make the tick release cleanly. In fact, they increase the odds of a tick regurgitating into the bite, which itself increases transmission risk.
Promptly removing a tick greatly reduces your odds of tick-borne illness. Most diseases take 24 hours or more to transmit. Still: monitor for symptoms. If you experience a bullseye rash, fever, chills, aches, and/or fatigue, contact your doctor.
If you’d prefer to avoid having to take ticks off in the first place, Mosquito Squad of Metro Detroit can help. Mosquito Squad treats the yard zones where ticks quest, helping protect your family with up to 90% reduction in pest activity on a recurring cycle.
