How to Safely Remove Ticks

DISCLOSURE: THIS POST CONTAINS AFFILIATE LINKS.

Ticks feed on many mammals and are widespread in the countryside. Paths and tracks used by wild animals often expose humans and their pets to ticks.

How Ticks Find Their Host

Ticks are very sensitive to carbon dioxide. They are able to follow gradients to reach the source – an animal breathing out! They are also able to detect body heat, so they can easily locate warm-blooded animals. Many species are not too fussy about which sort of host animal they feed off, so they can go transmit diseases from one species to another.

How to Avoid Tick Bites

Some ways you can prevent being bitten by a tick in the first place are:

• Walk along the middle of paths (ticks will be on the vegetation beside the path)
• Wear light clothing to make ticks easier to see (and a light coloured blanket if picnicking)
• Tuck shirt into trousers
• Wear boots and tuck trousers into socks

Why remove ticks

Ticks have the nasty habit of carrying diseases (e.g. Lyme Disease). When they suck blood from a host they can also take in viruses and once regurgitated into the bloodstream of their next host when they spit out some of their saliva. Ticks do this to help them withdraw their mouth parts.

How to Remove Ticks from Pets

Dogs and cats can easily pick up ticks, especially if they’re not wearing a flea & tick collar. Their fur makes the ticks difficult to see, and close inspection is recommended after a walk in the countryside. After carefully parting the hair to expose the tick the tweezers should be applied in the same way as for humans, and again pulling gently but firmly. Try to avoid pulling out too many hairs! The same precautions should be taken as when removing ticks from a human.

Dogs (and cats) with free access to the outside should not be allowed on furniture, especially beds – at least until after they have been thoroughly ‘de-ticked’.

How to Remove Ticks Safely from a Human Being

When ticks first attach and begin to feed, blood is being sucked into its gut from the host – this is the time to remove it. A tick should be pulled out using tweezers, which are fine enough to grab its head, close to the skin. Once grabbed firmly the tick should be removed slowly – with a straight pull – since jerking, squeezing or twisting will increase the chance of regurgitation, and thus of infection. The only exception to this ‘no twisting’ rule is when using a specialist tick removal tool like the ‘ Tick Twister ‘.

For the same reason, it is not a good idea to burn ticks or to use chemicals for their removal, although disinfectant can be applied to the skin after removal of the tick. In order to further avoid infection risk, it is advisable to use disposable gloves, and/or wash your hands carefully before and after the operation. Tweezers should also be disinfected, and the tick must be disposed of carefully.