Situational awareness and effective personal protection measures are key to avoiding tick problems. Because soft ticks and many hard ticks favor animal dwellings (e.g., burrows, caves, nests) that serve as habitat for their natural hosts, try to avoid such areas if possible. Remember, soft ticks are nocturnal, fast-feeding ticks that do not attach for long periods to feed.
TICK REMOVAL. Follow these procedures to properly remove attachedticks (per U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):
Use medium-tipped forceps (sold as various commercially available ‘tick removal devices’). Place tips around mouthparts where they enter the skin.
Situational awareness and effective personal protection measures are key to avoiding tick problems. Because soft ticks and many hard ticks favor animal dwellings (e.g., burrows, caves, nests) that serve as habitat for their natural hosts, try to avoid such areas if possible. Remember, soft ticks are nocturnal, fast-feeding ticks that do not attach for long periods to feed.
TICK REMOVAL. Follow these procedures to properly remove attached ticks (per U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention):
- Slowly and gently pull the tick away from the skin or slide forceps along the skin (follow device directions). Do not jerk, crush, squeeze or puncture the tick.
- Directly place tick in sealable container.
- Disinfect the bite site using standard procedures.
- If possible, save the tick alive for identification and disease testing. Place it in labeled (date, your name, geographic location, etc.), sealed bag or vial with a lightly moistened paper towel or even a few grass blades, then store at refrigerated temperature if possible.
- If forceps are unavailable, use index finger and thumb with rubber (latex) gloves, plastic or even a paper towel to prevent finger contamination. Tick feces can contain pathogens so bare fingers can transfer these pathogens to cuts, abrasions, and nasal or eye mucous membranes.
- Do not apply petroleum jelly (e.g. Vaseline), fingernail polish or similar chemicals over ticks, burn them or use various commercial gadgets to detach them. These methods usually don’t work, and may crush, squeeze or cause the tick to regurgitate, thus increasing disease transmission and/or infection.
The longer a tick remains attached, the more blood engorged it becomes, the more difficult it is to remove, and the more likely it is to transmit disease. Follow the guidance presented, collect any ticks you find on you and save them in a sealed container or Ziploc plastic bag. Alternatively, a high-quality photo of the tick may serve this purpose. The tick specimen or photo should be given to your medical provider should you later become sick. Always inform attending medical personnel that you visited a high-risk area, or had contact with ticks, because this will aid them in their differential diagnosis of your condition. It’s possible that part of the tick’s mouthpart may remain in the skin following removal.
