Ticks – How to Avoid and Remove Them
Shannon King, Charity Director
Summer is such a wonderful time to enjoy the bountiful beauty and serenity of nature. The coolness of the forest or a mountain spring brings such refreshing relief on a hot day. As a kid growing up in the Midwestern United States I spent my summers in the forest behind my house. We would climb boulders, swing from vines, hike, and catch crawdads (crayfish) in the creek.
After our adventures, it was always time for the dreaded tick check. Please always remember to check your children, your pets, and yourself for ticks. Ticks are small brown to black parasites that burrows its head into your skin to feed. Ticks are dangerous to your health due to the multiple diseases that they can carry including the most commonly known Lyme Disease.
Ticks like moist and humid environments near wooded or grassy areas. When hiking or working in these environments be prepared. You can lower your risk of picking up a visitor by wearing a hat to protect your scalp from ticks that may fall from above you. Wear insect repellant and long pants and always stay in the center of the trail. Always check yourself, your kids, and your pets after spending time in the forest or area where there are lots of weeds.
If you find that you have picked up a tick there is no need to panic. According to the Center for Disease Control the following is how to safely remove the tick.
There are several tick removal devices on the market, but a plain set of fine-tipped tweezers will remove a tick quite effectively.
How to remove a tick
- Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.
- Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts with tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.
- After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.
- Dispose of a live tick by submersing it in alcohol, placing it in a sealed bag/container, wrapping it tightly in tape, or flushing it down the toilet. Never crush a tick with your fingers.
Avoid folklore remedies such as “painting” the tick with nail polish or petroleum jelly, or using heat to make the tick detach from the skin. Your goal is to remove the tick as quickly as possible – not waiting for it to detach from the skin.
Follow-up
If you develop a rash or fever within several weeks of removing a tick, see your doctor. Be sure to tell the doctor about your recent tick bite, when the bite occurred, and where you most likely acquired the tick.
