Has a tick made its way onto your skin? Ugh, how annoying. These little bloodsuckers sure know how to ruin an otherwise pleasant day outdoors. Ticks lurk in grassy, brushy areas waiting to hitch a ride on unsuspecting hikers, campers, or backyard explorers like yourself. Most of the time, tick bites are harmless. But some ticks carry diseases like Lyme disease that you definitely want to avoid. The good news is there are some easy steps you can take to properly remove a tick if one has sunk its teeth into you and lower your chances of getting bitten in the first place.
How to Safely Remove an Attached Tick
Removing an attached tick requires care and precision. The sooner you remove a tick, the less likely it is to transmit disease. However, removing it incorrectly can increase the risks. Here are the steps to safely remove an attached tick:
First, gather the necessary supplies: fine-tipped tweezers, gloves (optional), antiseptic, cotton ball, zipper storage bag or sealed container. Do not handle the tick directly with your bare hands.
Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible with the tweezers. Do not squeeze its engorged abdomen, as this can push pathogens into the bite site.
Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk the tick, as this can cause the mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin. If you do accidentally detach the head, remove it with tweezers if possible.
After removal, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with antiseptic or soap and water. Apply an antibiotic ointment to the bite site.
Place the tick in a sealed bag or container in case it needs to be tested for disease. Write down the date of the bite. Monitor the site closely for signs of Lyme disease like a bull’s eye rash. See a doctor if you notice symptoms of a tickborne illness.
Double check that there are no other ticks attached. Perform a full-body tick check using a mirror to view all parts of your body. Ticks can be very small, so look closely.
Take a photo of the tick and the bite site if possible. This can help with identification and monitoring. Some ticks that carry disease are very small, about the size of a poppy seed.
Contact your doctor if you are unable to remove the entire tick or if signs of infection develop. Prompt removal within 24 to 48 hours can help prevent disease transmission, but some tickborne pathogens act quickly. Monitor for symptoms and see a doctor right away if they appear.
Following these removal tips carefully and checking thoroughly for more ticks can help reduce your risks of infection and ensure the tick is eliminated completely. Take precautions to avoid ticks when outside and be vigilant about checking yourself and loved ones after potential exposure. Prevention is the best protection against tickborne disease.
Diseases Ticks Can Transmit and Their Symptoms
While ticks themselves typically do not cause any symptoms, the pathogens they transmit can lead to serious diseases. The two most well-known tickborne illnesses are Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
Lyme Disease
Lyme disease is caused by bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi that infect blacklegged ticks. Early symptoms of Lyme disease usually appear within 3 to 30 days after being bitten by an infected tick. The most common symptoms include:
A circular or oval rash that expands over time, often described as looking like a bull’s eye. The rash can appear anywhere on the body.
Fever, chills, fatigue, body aches, and joint pain.
Swollen lymph nodes.
Headache and neck stiffness.
If left untreated, late symptoms of Lyme disease may occur months to years after the initial infection and include severe joint pain and swelling, facial palsy, heart palpitations, and memory problems. Antibiotic treatment is usually very effective, especially if started early.
Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
Rocky Mountain spotted fever is caused by bacteria called Rickettsia rickettsii transmitted by the American dog tick and Rocky Mountain wood tick. Early symptoms appear within 2 to 14 days after being bitten and include:
Fever, chills, body aches, and fatigue. The fever may reach up to 105°F.
Rash, usually appearing first on the wrists and ankles, then spreading to the palms of the hands and soles of the feet as well as the rest of the body. The rash looks like small, flat, pink spots or red bumps.
Abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting.
Headache.
This disease can be life-threatening if not treated. Doxycycline is the most common antibiotic used to treat Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Treatment should be started as soon as the disease is suspected, even before blood test results confirm the diagnosis.
Early diagnosis and treatment of tickborne diseases are critical. See your doctor right away if you experience symptoms after being bitten by a tick or spending time in wooded or brushy areas where ticks may live. Prompt antibiotic treatment can prevent severe and potentially life-threatening complications from these illnesses.
Reducing Your Risk of Tick Bites While Outdoors
Spending time outside comes with risks of tick bites and the diseases they may carry. The good news is there are several precautions you can take to reduce your chances of getting bitten.
Wear Protective Clothing
When hiking or doing yardwork, wear long sleeves and pants, and tuck your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks. Light-colored clothing makes ticks easier to spot. You can also treat clothing, shoes, tents, and camping gear with permethrin, an insect repellent that kills and repels ticks.
Use Insect Repellent
Apply insect repellent containing 20-30% DEET to your skin and clothes. You can also use natural repellents like lemon eucalyptus oil. Reapply as directed.
Shower Soon After Coming Indoors
Take a shower within two hours of coming inside to wash off any ticks that may be crawling on you. Do a thorough tick check, especially under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and in your hair.
Remove Ticks Promptly
The sooner you remove a tick, the less likely it is to transmit disease. Check yourself, children and pets for ticks daily and remove any ticks promptly.
Create a Tick-Safe Zone
Modify your yard to make it less habitable for ticks and the rodents that carry them. Trim overgrown brush, clear leaf litter, mow the lawn regularly, and place wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas. Also, discourage rodents by eliminating access to food sources, shelter and standing water.
Consider Using Pesticides
Apply acaricides (tick pesticides) to your yard in early spring to kill ticks, especially in shady, bushy areas. Reapply as directed to maximize effectiveness. You can also treat paths, patios and dog kennel areas.
Taking these precautions, especially during peak tick season in the warmer months, can help ensure you enjoy the great outdoors as safely as possible. Be tick aware and take action to avoid these pesky, disease-spreading pests.
Performing Tick Checks After Being Outside
Performing thorough tick checks after spending time outside is critical to reducing your risk of tickborne diseases. Ticks are most active during warm weather months, so be especially vigilant in the spring and summer.
Do a full-body check
Ticks can latch on anywhere, so do a complete check of your entire body after being outside, including your scalp, behind your ears, between your legs, and between your toes. Have someone else check areas of your body that you can’t easily see yourself. Pay close attention to folds and creases in the skin where ticks can hide.
Check your clothing and gear
Ticks can hitchhike into your home on clothing and equipment. Carefully inspect backpacks, tents, shoes, and anything else you had outside. Ticks may crawl for hours before attaching to a host, so wash and dry clothes on high heat as soon as possible to kill any stowaways.
Bathe or shower
Bathing or showering within two hours of coming indoors can wash away loose ticks and allow you to spot attached ones more easily. The hot water and soap may also prompt attached ticks to loosen their grip, making them easier to remove.
Re-check the next day
Do another full-body tick check the day after being outside. Some nymph ticks can be as small as a poppy seed, so a second look may be required to find one that was missed the first time. Continually checking for up to a week after potential exposure is the safest approach.
Remove any ticks promptly
If you do find an attached tick, remove it immediately using fine-tipped tweezers. Grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure. Wash the area thoroughly with soap and water after removing the tick.
Performing regular tick checks and knowing how to properly remove them can help ensure your fun in the great outdoors doesn’t end with an unwanted souvenir. Staying vigilant about tick prevention will give you peace of mind all season long.
Keeping Ticks Off Your Pets and Out of Your Home
It’s not just humans that ticks like to bite—your furry friends are also at risk. To protect your pets from ticks, be sure to use a veterinarian-approved tick prevention product, such as a collar, topical treatment, or oral medication. These products will repel ticks and often kill them if they do bite your pet.
You should also check your pets regularly for ticks, especially after being outside. Run your hands over their entire body, including ears and paws. Feel for any new lumps or bumps—ticks will feel like small, hard balls attached to the skin. Remove any ticks you find promptly using tweezers and by grasping the tick as close to the skin as possible.
To reduce ticks in your yard, keep grass mowed and underbrush cleared. Ticks like moist, shady areas with plenty of foliage to hide in. You can also treat your yard with an acaricide, like bifenthrin or permethrin, which will kill ticks on contact. Reapply these chemicals every few weeks according to the product directions.
Tick-Proof Your Home
Ticks that hitch a ride into your home on pets or clothing can become established indoors. Here are some tips to make your home less tick-friendly:
• Seal any cracks or crevices in foundations, siding, roofs, and around entryways like doors, windows, utility penetrations. This removes access points for ticks to get inside.
• Store pet food in airtight containers and clean up spilled food immediately. Pet food attracts rodents that can carry ticks.
• Use tick repellent sprays containing permethrin or bifenthrin around the perimeter of your home and yard, especially in shady, brushy areas. Reapply as directed.
• Do regular tick checks on pets after they’ve been outside and remove any ticks promptly. This will reduce the chance of ticks dropping off in your home.
• Consider professional pest control treatments. Exterminators can treat your yard and home with stronger, longer-lasting chemicals to kill and repel ticks. They can also help eliminate rodent infestations in and around structures.
• Practice good tick habitat reduction like keeping grass mowed, clearing brush, and eliminating standing water. Disrupting tick environments will limit their numbers around homes and yards.
• Wash and dry clothing on high heat after being outside. This will kill any ticks trying to hitch a ride into your home. Do a tick check after handling outdoor clothing, equipment, or gear as well.
By taking some proactive measures, you can effective make your home and yard less tick-friendly and safer for your family and pets. Be vigilant about tick checks and removal, and you
Conclusion
That covers the basics on how to properly remove a tick and lower your risk of getting bitten in the first place. Ticks are nasty little creatures, but don’t let them deter you from enjoying the outdoors. Just be vigilant, check yourself regularly, and take the right precautions. If you do find a tick attached, don’t panic – just remove it promptly and thoroughly using the tips above. You’ve got this under control. Stay safe out there and happy adventuring!
