Ticks are hard to spot as they wait on blades of grass, but they are waiting for you. These tiny parasites seek out humans, dogs, and other mammals, waiting to attach to exposed skin and feed on their blood. With the warming climate, there’s a good chance you’ll encounter one this summer.
According to Michel Shamoon-Pour, a molecular anthropologist at the Binghamton University Tick-borne Disease Center, most people bitten by ticks will be fine. However, a small percentage may develop serious symptoms from Lyme disease and other illnesses like anaplasmosis and babesiosis. Shamoon-Pour advises that the best course of action is to avoid tick bites and, if you find one, remove it quickly and safely. This is the best way to prevent infection before it starts.
Removing ticks requires the correct technique; improper removal can increase the risk of infection. We consulted experts for the best and worst methods for tick removal.
Best: Use fine-tip tweezers
Worst: Use your fingers or a tweezers with a wide tip
Ticks are very small, often no bigger than a poppy seed, says Shamoon-Pour. Adult deer ticks, for example, are about 1/10th of an inch when unfed. Using fingers or large tweezers often leads to grabbing the tick’s body, a common mistake.
Best: Grab the tick’s mouth
Worst: Go after its body
When removing a tick from yourself or someone else, use tweezers to grasp its mouth, the part embedded in the skin. Avoid grabbing the body, which can squeeze out potentially infectious pathogens into your skin, according to Shamoon-Pour.
Once you have a firm grip on the tick’s mouthparts, pull it straight out with steady, even pressure. Afterward, clean the area with rubbing alcohol and wash your hands with soap and water or sanitizer.
Best: If the tick breaks, leave its mouth or legs there
Worst: Dig around for any lingering pieces
Sometimes the tick breaks during removal, leaving mouthparts or legs in the skin, which appear as small black dots. Shamoon-Pour says to leave these remnants alone. Your body will naturally push them out within a few days.
Best: Stick to the tweezers-removal technique
Worst: Try to suffocate the tick or burn it off
Many ineffective tick removal remedies exist, like burning the tick off with a match or smothering it with petroleum jelly or nail polish. Shamoon-Pour assures that these methods won’t work. Moreover, using fire can cause burns more serious than the tick bite itself.
Best: Flush it or suffocate it with tape
Worst: Crush it to death
Ticks are resilient. After removal, Dr. Amy Duckro, an infectious disease specialist, recommends wrapping the tick tightly in tape to cut off oxygen and then discarding it in the trash. Alternatively, submerge it in rubbing alcohol or flush it down the toilet. Avoid crushing the tick, as this can release potentially infected fluids and increase the risk of illness.
Best: If you’d rather keep the tick, just in case, preserve it in a sealed container
Worst: Immediately send it off for testing
Lee Ann Sporn, a biology professor, advises against sending ticks for testing after a bite, a recommendation supported by the CDC. Even if the tick tests positive for a disease-causing agent, it doesn’t guarantee you’ll get sick and could lead to unnecessary treatment. Conversely, a negative result doesn’t mean you’re safe, as you might have been bitten by other undetected ticks. Additionally, many tick-testing labs lack adequate quality control, and the results aren’t reliable for diagnosis.
Experts generally recommend disposing of the tick after removal. However, if you’re concerned, you can preserve the tick in rubbing alcohol in a sealed container or plastic bag in your freezer. This allows your doctor to visually identify it if you become ill, says Sporn. She also suggests taking photos of the tick bite and the tick itself for dated documentation. This record can be helpful if you develop symptoms later and your doctor asks about tick bites.
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