How to remove a tick: Use this step-by-step guide to get rid of clinging pests
Like any outdoor insect, ticks can be a real pest. But they’re more than just a nuisance – ticks can carry dangerous diseases like Lyme disease, Heartland virus, tickborne relapsing fever, tick paralysis and others found across the U.S.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, you can prevent tick bites by using insect repellent and checking your body and clothes after walking through grassy, wooded areas.
But if you’ve already found one crawling on you, here’s what to do:
How to remove a tick
Act quickly, but remove the tick carefully so you don't crush the bug, which may be full of infected blood. Here’s how to remove a tick that’s attached to your skin, according to the CDC guidelines:
Use fine, pointed tweezers to grab the tick close to the skin.
Lift steadily without twisting the tick, which can cause the mouth to break off and stay in the skin.
Clean the bite area with rubbing alcohol or soap and water. Wash your hands.
Dispose of the tick by putting it in alcohol and a sealed bag tightly wrapped with tape or by flushing it down the toilet.
The CDC does not recommend you save the tick for laboratory testing. It won't affect the diagnosis of tick-borne illnesses. Instead, contact your doctor if you develop symptoms such as a rash or fever. You can also use the CDC’s Tick Bite Bot, which assists with care after tick bites.
How to remove a tick from a dog
Removing a tick from a dog is a similar process – grasp the tick with tweezers and pull straight up to prevent the tick from popping. Clean the bite area with antiseptic and the tweezers with alcohol.
According to the Humane Society, you’ll want to monitor your pet's behavior over the next few days. Contact your vet if you notice any symptoms of tickborne illness, such as swollen joints, swollen lymph nodes, fever, loss of appetite, neurological problems or general fatigue.
What does a tick look like?
Ticks vary in size depending on the life stage they’re in – adults are about the size of an apple seed, nymphs are the size of a poppy seed and larvae are about as small as a grain of sand, according to Alaska's Division of Environmental Health. Ticks swell with blood when they feed and become round in the middle.
Adult ticks usually have eight legs and can range in color by species – they can be grayish-white, brown, black, reddish-brown or yellow. Familiarize yourself with these images of different tick species found in the U.S. or read our guide to the most common ticks found in your region.
How to prevent ticks
Ticks are often found in grassy, wooded areas, so you should walk in the center of trails. When it comes to attire, choose light-colored clothing that makes creeping insects easy to spot. Tuck your shirt into your pants and your pants into your socks.
Once inside, shower within two hours and tumble dry clothes on high heat for 10 minutes. Check your body, your children's bodies and your pets for ticks. On humans, ticks will normally hide in or around these body parts:
Hair
Ears
Belly button
Armpits
Waist
Between the legs
Back of the knees
On pets, ticks can often be found in these places:
Ears
Eyelids
Toes
Under the collar
Around the tail
Under the front legs
Between back legs
Symptoms of tickborne illness
There are more than 14 illnesses that ticks can pass to humans. Lyme disease is the most common. Here's what to pay attention to, according to the CDC:
Fever
Aches and pains
Rash
Weakness or paralysis, which could indicate tick paralysis
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How to remove a tick: Safe tweezer method in four easy steps
