# How to Properly Remove a Tick



## pannaking22 (Mar 12, 2014)

It's that time of year again when the ticks are emerging and I just wanted to post this so that you know how to properly remove a tick!

http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html

If you do get an embedded tick, do not use fire, oil, or any other home remedies. These can severely stress out the tick and may cause it to vomit into the bite, almost certainly guaranteeing infection if the tick is carrying a pathogen of some sort (Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Heartland Virus, etc.).

In terms of identification, check the picture links below:

Black-legged tick (_Ixodes scapularis_) - found east of the Rocky Mountains. There is a similar species west of the Rockies, _Ixodes pacificus_.

Dog tick (_Dermacentor variabilis_) - found east of the Rockies. There is a similar species west of the Rockies, _Dermacentor occidentalis_.

Lone star tick (_Amblyomma americanum_) - southeast US (range map).

Gulf coast tick (_Amblyomma maculatum_) - southeast US. Similar to _Amblyomma cajennense_, which occasionally comes up in the deep South.

Keep in mind that these ticks are small and the larval and nymphal stages are even smaller. Be sure to check skin/clothing when you finish hiking (or collecting  ), wear long pants, and use bug spray containing DEET.

Reactions: Like 4 | Informative 1 | Helpful 2


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## Micrathena (Mar 12, 2014)

Some veterinary clinics also have special "tick spoons", which work wonders on humans as well as other mammals.


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## The Snark (Mar 12, 2014)

"If you do get an embedded tick, do not use fire, oil, or any other home remedies. These can severely stress out the tick and may cause it to vomit into the bite, almost certainly guaranteeing infection if the tick is carrying a pathogen of some sort (Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Heartland Virus, etc.)."

Or a Winchester 30-30 rifle as one genius tried.

Reactions: Like 3 | Funny 1


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## Curious jay (Mar 12, 2014)

The Snark said:


> "If you do get an embedded tick, do not use fire, oil, or any other home remedies. These can severely stress out the tick and may cause it to vomit into the bite, almost certainly guaranteeing infection if the tick is carrying a pathogen of some sort (Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Heartland Virus, etc.)."
> 
> Or a Winchester 30-30 rifle as one genius tried.


Lol care to expand on that story Snark? Sounds like an entertaining one.


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## pannaking22 (Mar 12, 2014)

Micrathena said:


> Some veterinary clinics also have special "tick spoons", which work wonders on humans as well as other mammals.


I don't have any personal experience with those (I always just use forceps), but I've heard a lot of good things about them.




The Snark said:


> "If you do get an embedded tick, do not use fire, oil, or any other home remedies. These can severely stress out the tick and may cause it to vomit into the bite, almost certainly guaranteeing infection if the tick is carrying a pathogen of some sort (Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Heartland Virus, etc.)."
> 
> Or a Winchester 30-30 rifle as one genius tried.


I'm with Curious jay, I'm curious to hear that story too lol


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## The Snark (Mar 13, 2014)

Curious jay said:


> Lol care to expand on that story Snark? Sounds like an entertaining one.


There was a couple of pictures spread around in medical circles for a while of an arm with an avulsion about 2 inches across and an inch deep. Let's just repeat to old adage, 'Ma nature hates a vacuum'.

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## viper69 (Mar 13, 2014)

pannaking22 said:


> It's that time of year again when the ticks are emerging and I just wanted to post this so that you know how to properly remove a tick!
> 
> http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html
> 
> ...


Thanks for this link!!! I have read in that mineral oil was OK to use- glad I saw your post, I do not want Lyme Disease!


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## pannaking22 (Mar 13, 2014)

The Snark said:


> There was a couple of pictures spread around in medical circles for a while of an arm with an avulsion about 2 inches across and an inch deep. Let's just repeat to old adage, 'Ma nature hates a vacuum'.


Good lord, lol. Well as long as he got the tick, right?



viper69 said:


> Thanks for this link!!! I have read in that mineral oil was OK to use- glad I saw your post, I do not want Lyme Disease!


You're welcome! Lyme disease is always good to avoid, but if detected early, medications pretty much guarantee a full recovery!

Reactions: Like 1


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## Smokehound714 (Mar 15, 2014)

get a sceloporus occidentalis and perform a blood transfusion


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## The Snark (Mar 15, 2014)

Pannaking22. A request from myself and a doc friend of mine. For years he has labored under the impression that using H2O2 on the tick as it is biting will devascularize the wound and arrest all disease transmission. Can you supply some info contradicting this? It is understood that H2O2 is not the antiseptic of choice in hospitals as it expands the injury but it is widely used as chemical curettage when an ongoing infector is present.


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## pannaking22 (Mar 15, 2014)

Snark (and doc friend). I don't have any experience with using H2O2 for ticks, though I have read up on it recently since you brought it to my attention. I can see it being more effective for ticks that have been on a person for a short time. In the case of Lyme disease, the general consensus seems to be that a tick has to be feeding for 12-24 hours before infection can occur. Some diseases are transmitted in a shorter amount of time (I believe Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever is 6 hours, but don't quote me on it unless I find the source), while others take even longer than Lyme. I can certainly see the merit of using H2O2 on ticks, especially considering how quickly it works (people on YouTube seem to like injecting ticks with H2O2 to cause them to explode). I believe he can continue to use H2O2 without ill effects. I'll ask my adviser about that on Monday to see if he has any thoughts on it. Considering that he has gotten Lyme disease several times already, I'm sure he'll have more info than I do.


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## pannaking22 (May 2, 2014)

Snark - Sorry about the delayed response. I talked with my adviser about using H2O2 as a removal technique, and he said that it will still result in the tick vomiting into the bite site. For a tick to remove itself from your skin, it uses a compound in its saliva to dissolve the "cement" that allows it to stay firmly embedded. By applying a steady pulling pressure while using forceps, you force the tick to use these compounds to dissolve the bond. When you use H2O2, fire, soap, etc., this forces the tick to dissolve the bond much more quickly using any method possible. Unfortunately, to obtain a quick break, the tick will vomit (while sucking blood, the tick also sucks up a fair amount of its saliva with all the other compounds it has produced). This drops any pathogens that had been sitting in the gut into the bite site, drastically increasing the chance of being infected.

Reactions: Like 2


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## The Snark (May 2, 2014)

So the old tried and true method proves the best. Grasp the tick, and keep on grasping pinching until you have it's entire body between finger and thumb. When you have it properly pinched the pinching force alone levers the tick up, assuring the head comes as well. And of course, always burn the tick to kill the babies, (they float and can survive for hours on water) and wash wash wash those fingers immediately. Using surgical rubber gloves gives excellent grip on the buggers. Or, if you are fussy, grab the Kellys.


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## Smokehound714 (May 4, 2014)

I just use forceps, grab their mouthparts, and yank em out before they get a chance to vomit into you.

  It takes practice, you kinda have to catch them off guard.


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## pannaking22 (May 4, 2014)

The Snark said:


> So the old tried and true method proves the best. Grasp the tick, and keep on grasping pinching until you have it's entire body between finger and thumb. When you have it properly pinched the pinching force alone levers the tick up, assuring the head comes as well. And of course, always burn the tick to kill the babies, (they float and can survive for hours on water) and wash wash wash those fingers immediately. Using surgical rubber gloves gives excellent grip on the buggers. Or, if you are fussy, grab the Kellys.


Not sure if you need to burn them, though you are certainly welcome to  Mine always get dropped in alcohol. They are great at surviving though. I've collected some and dropped them in alcohol and they'll still be flailing around a couple hours later. Very hardy!


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## The Snark (May 5, 2014)

pannaking22 said:


> Not sure if you need to burn them, though you are certainly welcome to  Mine always get dropped in alcohol. They are great at surviving though. I've collected some and dropped them in alcohol and they'll still be flailing around a couple hours later. Very hardy!


The old saw: 'A feeding tick is a breeding tick.' In tick country keep a disposable lighter handy.


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## pannaking22 (Mar 27, 2015)

Since it's getting to be that time of year again, here's a tick bump!

Reactions: Like 1


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## windscorpions1 (Mar 27, 2015)

Since you bumped the thread might as well add something to it....what we do to remove a tick here is we get s tweezers grab a hold of them and turn counter clockwise I got one last turkey season did this and it came right out.

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## pannaking22 (Mar 27, 2015)

That definitely works! As long as you get the head out and don't cause the tick to vomit it's all good.


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## pannaking22 (Apr 7, 2016)

Ticks are out and about again, so here's another tick bump! Enjoy the outdoors and do your tick checks when you come back inside!

Reactions: Agree 1


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## billrogers (Apr 7, 2016)

I just want to add that it's a good idea to keep the tick in a ziplock bag (after it's dead) for few a few weeks after you pull it out in case you get sick. That way the doctors can also check the actual tick to help them figure out what you caught. At least this is what I have always been told...

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 2 | Helpful 1


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## pannaking22 (Apr 8, 2016)

billrogers said:


> I just want to add that it's a good idea to keep the tick in a ziplock bag (after it's dead) for few a few weeks after you pull it out in case you get sick. That way the doctors can also check the actual tick to help them figure out what you caught. At least this is what I have always been told...


Excellent addition! I'd recommend keeping the tick for 1-2 months just to be safe. Most diseases will manifest within a month, but saving it certainly can't hurt. Having the tick always helps in case they need to send it to an entomologist to ID. If the tick isn't blood fed the doctors may be able to ID it, but I'd be a bit nervous letting them try to ID if it's full.


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## Sheridan (May 1, 2016)

For the record you can get Lyme from less than a 24 hour feeding. Ive had it twice from the same bite(i was one of the lucky 20% with a recourance) and feeding time was likely sub 12 hours. Do avoid it, doxycycline works as a preventative if you do get bit as a single dose within 24 hours of finding the tick. Headaches from Lyme are a royal $€&3£!


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## The Snark (May 1, 2016)

Since I last perused this thread I encountered the ultimate tick removal tool. A Kelly's forceps with the very tip ground off at about a 45 degree angle then rounded very slightly so it isn't sharp and can poke you. I've done in a pair of Kelly's trying it. It's so accurate and powerful you can grab the ticks mouth parts without even squeezing the head. The dermatologist I learned this from added dipping the tips in povidone-iodine before removing the tick to stop all further contamination from the tick and arrest disease spread from the Kellys. She cut off part of the applicator tip from a bottle of Betadyne and plugged the hole with the Kellys: Instant tick zapper on hand.

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## Nosiris (May 1, 2016)

I recommend this tick lasso:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TRIX-TICK-LASSO-REMOVER-HUMANS/dp/B001QC34LS

I've used it twice in the field (on humans!) and it worked perfectly both times. Pretty straightforward if used with a little patience. The one I got (a couple of years ago) came with a little glass vial and some sort of free testing service if you post the offending item to Sweden but the current listing doesn't mention this so maybe they don't do it any more.


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## grimmjowls (May 1, 2016)

pannaking22 said:


> Keep in mind that these ticks are small and the larval and nymphal stages are even smaller. Be sure to check skin/clothing when you finish hiking (or collecting  ), wear long pants, and use bug spray containing DEET.


Having studied Lyme disease and the role that ticks play in infecting humans, I can confidently add that as long as you do full body checks after being around areas that are known to have _I. scapularis_ and other carriers of the disease, you will be fine in terms of not contracting the disease. The tick must be attached for at least 48 hours before _B. burgdorferi_ can pass onto the host.

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1 | Useful 2


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## pannaking22 (May 2, 2016)

grimmjowls said:


> Having studied Lyme disease and the role that ticks play in infecting humans, I can confidently add that as long as you do full body checks after being around areas that are known to have _I. scapularis_ and other carriers of the disease, you will be fine in terms of not contracting the disease. The tick must be attached for at least 48 hours before _B. burgdorferi_ can pass onto the host.


Definitely! Doing a quick tick check once you get back is one of the best ways to make sure you don't have any on you. I always check first thing in the morning too because it gives them time to embed and makes them easier to pick out once they get a little blood in them. Probably not how most people want to find them, but like you grimmjowls, I studied Lyme and _I. scapularis_ too, so I guess I just got used to them lol.

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## The Snark (May 2, 2016)

grimmjowls said:


> The tick must be attached for at least 48 hours before _B. burgdorferi_ can pass onto the host.


_*This is not entirely correct or a safe rule to follow. *_
Due to the mechanisms the bacterium uses, the longer the tick is allowed to feed the greater the chance of transmission of the infection. However, numerous factors play a part in the speed which the transmission can take place inclusive of the age of the tick, the temperature, and the host's susceptibility. Transmission can take as little as an hour, depending on how fast the protein development phases progress.

_OspC, like the previous outer surface proteins, is a lipoprotein that lies on the surface of the bacterium and is encoded by a circular plasmid. As discussed earlier, the expression of OspA and OspB is down regulated soon after the tick is done feeding. While, the expression of these proteins is down regulated, the expression of OspC is increased [12,13]. Osp binds a salivary protein in ticks, Salp15, which accounts for its role in transmission from the tick to the host [14]. Grimm et al. showed through their research that OspC is an essential component of B. burgdorferi to cause infection [15]. OspC deletion mutants remain a virulent when infected through needle and tick [16]. Overall, OspC is required for transmission and infection in the host cell._

However, effective transmission that will assure the bacterium established itself in the host and is able to overcome antibody resistance takes a greater period of time.

So the rule is, get the tick out as fast as possible and have it checked. If positive, you need to follow up with tests to assure the pathogen has not established itself enough to enter a reproductive state. IE, you can still have the infection but it may not be sufficient for reproduction and retransmission and remains dormant.

You should also be aware there are several common pathogens carried by the deer tick, each with different properties. (Lyme disease, babesiosis, anaplasmosis, Powassan virus disease

https://microbewiki.kenyon.edu/index.php/Borrelia_burgdorferi_and_Lyme_Disease
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440571/

Reactions: Disagree 2 | Informative 1


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## darkness975 (May 2, 2016)

With the mild winter that we had in my area I am especially fearful of what tick (or other) plagues we will have this year. I usually am one to try and paint invertebrates in a positive light but ticks, mosquitoes, etc. deserve to be destroyed!!!

Reactions: Like 1


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## grimmjowls (May 3, 2016)

The Snark said:


> _*This is not entirely correct or a safe rule to follow. *_
> Due to the mechanisms the bacterium uses, the longer the tick is allowed to feed the greater the chance of transmission of the infection. However, numerous factors play a part in the speed which the transmission can take place inclusive of the age of the tick, the temperature, and the host's susceptibility. Transmission can take as little as an hour, depending on how fast the protein development phases progress.
> 
> _OspC, like the previous outer surface proteins, is a lipoprotein that lies on the surface of the bacterium and is encoded by a circular plasmid. As discussed earlier, the expression of OspA and OspB is down regulated soon after the tick is done feeding. While, the expression of these proteins is down regulated, the expression of OspC is increased [12,13]. Osp binds a salivary protein in ticks, Salp15, which accounts for its role in transmission from the tick to the host [14]. Grimm et al. showed through their research that OspC is an essential component of B. burgdorferi to cause infection [15]. OspC deletion mutants remain a virulent when infected through needle and tick [16]. Overall, OspC is required for transmission and infection in the host cell._
> ...


Quoting the CDC's own material:

_... In general, *ticks need to be attached for 36 to 48 hours before they can transmit Lyme disease bacteria*. ..._​
Going off of that, I nowhere stated that it's a good idea to leave the tick embedded for anywhere close to 48 hours. _
_
Another source states:

_Nymph ticks are the most likely transmitter because they are small and not easily detectable by humans, *as the tick must remain attached for 36-48 hours to transmit B. burgdorferi to the host*._​
Yet another breaks it down as to _why_ it requires so long:

_On the basis of experimental studies with animals, to transmit B burgdorferi an infected nymphal tick generally must feed for at least 36 to 48 hours and an infected adult tick must feed for at least 72 hours before the risk of transmission becomes substantial. These experimental findings were confirmed in a study in humans in which the risk of transmission from ticks (for which the duration of feeding could be assessed) to humans was 25% for nymphal ticks that had fed for at least 72 hours and 0% for nymphal ticks that had fed for less than 72 hours, as well as for all adult and all larval ticks. The bacteria live in the midgut of the tick, which needs to become engorged with blood before the bacteria migrate to the salivary glands and the saliva, through which the organism is injected into the host. Studies indicate that in most instances in which a tick bite is recognized, the tick has fed for less than 48 hours, which in part explains the low risk of Lyme disease (1%–3%) after a recognized tick bite in endemic areas. Risk of Lyme disease may be higher from bites that are unrecognized because the tick may feed to repletion and would be more likely to transmit the infection._​
So how about we do full-body checks after coming inside from a tick-inhabited area within 48 hours?

Reactions: Agree 1 | Informative 2


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## The Snark (May 3, 2016)

@grimmjowls Thnx  much for the additional data!!


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## The Snark (May 4, 2016)

grimmjowls said:


> Quoting the CDC's own material:
> 
> _... In general, *ticks need to be attached for 36 to 48 hours before they can transmit Lyme disease bacteria*. ..._
> Going off of that, I nowhere stated that it's a good idea to leave the tick embedded for anywhere close to 48 hours. _
> ...


This explains why the tick is a very ineffective vector compared to a mosquito packing readily available parasites or virus in it's saliva, at least in humans that can easily remove them.

(PS Apologies for my half arsed rushed research earlier. I should know better)


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## pannaking22 (Mar 26, 2017)

Annual public safety bump! Ticks are starting to emerge in good numbers in the US, so please make sure to do a tick check after doing outdoor activities!

Reactions: Like 1


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## edesign (Apr 1, 2017)

pannaking22 said:


> Annual public safety bump! Ticks are starting to emerge in good numbers in the US, so please make sure to do a tick check after doing outdoor activities!


Predicted to be a higher than average season too if I read correctly. Thanks for the reminder! Definitely have them in my area.


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## pannaking22 (Apr 3, 2017)

edesign said:


> Predicted to be a higher than average season too if I read correctly. Thanks for the reminder! Definitely have them in my area.


Agreed, I would definitely expect a heavy tick year with the mild winter.


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## pannaking22 (Apr 21, 2018)

Little late on the bump this year, but it's tick season yet again!

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## schmiggle (Apr 21, 2018)

I do love spring. The smell of daffodils, the logarithmic spirals of fern fiddleheads, and the gentle caress of ticks crawling around your body.

Reactions: Funny 2


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