Removing a tick with a Q tip.
- Thread starter Dave
- Start date
The advice from the Lyme Disease website and NHS is not to use anything other than tick removal tools.
While they may not like it tools are a quick and effective method, most if not all other methods result in the tick being stressed or dying. The last thing they do is to regurgitate the contents of their stomach. This increases the risk of infection and Lyme disease. Tick tools are designs to avoid pressure on the body if the tick as squeezing one again causes it to regurgitate.
We found a tick recently on a Cub. We used a tool and the Cub has shown no sign of infection. That surely must stress the tick in the video pushing it around. Where as a quick upwards motion and they are out. Never also use fat pointed twizzers , they can cause you to squeeze the tick. Fine pointed are better as you can get under the tick to where it is attached.
Just saying by the way and not wishing to upset the OP, just trying to help.
While they may not like it tools are a quick and effective method, most if not all other methods result in the tick being stressed or dying. The last thing they do is to regurgitate the contents of their stomach. This increases the risk of infection and Lyme disease. Tick tools are designs to avoid pressure on the body if the tick as squeezing one again causes it to regurgitate.
We found a tick recently on a Cub. We used a tool and the Cub has shown no sign of infection. That surely must stress the tick in the video pushing it around. Where as a quick upwards motion and they are out. Never also use fat pointed twizzers , they can cause you to squeeze the tick. Fine pointed are better as you can get under the tick to where it is attached.
Just saying by the way and not wishing to upset the OP, just trying to help.
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A single piece of thread looped around the ticks mouthparts, or thin tweezers as close to the mouthparts as possible and pull straight up and out will work in a pinch but isn't ideal. NEVER sqeeze or smoother a tick. You can buy a tick removal tool on Amazon for less than £1 and get some topical antibiotic on asap. Most tick bites are harmless and won't cause problems. But some do. Sure Eddie will back me up on the fact lymes is no joke
…..and how many people actually have the tweezers, the tick keys, the otom tick removers ? But I'd bet every household has cotton buds.
Tweezers are not supposed to be a good idea either, that's why the little tick remover tool was invented….and you twist before you lift with that too.
If you can find a link to the tools at under a quid, please do post. The last time I bought them they cost me a fiver.
M
Tweezers are not supposed to be a good idea either, that's why the little tick remover tool was invented….and you twist before you lift with that too.
If you can find a link to the tools at under a quid, please do post. The last time I bought them they cost me a fiver.
M
I have tick tools.
If your ok with ordering via China there are a few on EBay for 99p. Some with free postage, one had two for £1.98 and free postage.
If your ok with ordering via China there are a few on EBay for 99p. Some with free postage, one had two for £1.98 and free postage.
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Kerbl Tick-Away Forceps on Card Plastic https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B001TNRLY0/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_69gIvbKEHTQH6
£1.49 sorry they must have gone up since I bought my last.
It was more the method that shocked me there excerting any pressure onto the tick abdomen is a really bad idea
Those forceps are just wide bladed tweezers….which we are advised not to use, and those tick remover tools from China are knock offs and the tips are too thick to slide under the little ticks.
The lasso type is also not recommended 'cos it can nip off the head of the blighter.
M
The lasso type is also not recommended 'cos it can nip off the head of the blighter.
M
I have these
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-System...8&qid=1435006158&sr=8-5&keywords=Tick+remover
Little bit more I got mine from Heinnie a while ago. Yeah you can get cheaper but they will last and last.
Must say the Chinese ones do look thick, perhaps Chinese ticks are monster sized.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-System...8&qid=1435006158&sr=8-5&keywords=Tick+remover
Little bit more I got mine from Heinnie a while ago. Yeah you can get cheaper but they will last and last.
Must say the Chinese ones do look thick, perhaps Chinese ticks are monster sized.
I think it's worth spending more to get it right, but many folks are on tight budgets and the price for a small tool can seem excessive.
I suspect that the cheap ones are just taken from a mould of the original finer tipped ones.
I think the simplicity of the damp cotton bud twirling the blighter until it pops itself free, has an appeal though. I have no idea how one would practice the technique though. I agree that not pressing down on it's gut is a very sound thing.
M
I suspect that the cheap ones are just taken from a mould of the original finer tipped ones.
I think the simplicity of the damp cotton bud twirling the blighter until it pops itself free, has an appeal though. I have no idea how one would practice the technique though. I agree that not pressing down on it's gut is a very sound thing.
M
How do people rate the tick card?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Systems-Lifesystems-Tick-Remover/dp/B00JV17P7U
It looks like something easier to pop in your wallet so it is always with you.
Z
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Systems-Lifesystems-Tick-Remover/dp/B00JV17P7U
It looks like something easier to pop in your wallet so it is always with you.
Z
Could you not just cut a small 'V' notch in a credit card and use the card as a lever whilst also rotating the card, or is a credit card too thick for purpose ?
It is what I have thought of using if I did not have the proper O'tom type tick remover.
I don't have a dedicated tick remover, what is the best type?
It is what I have thought of using if I did not have the proper O'tom type tick remover.
I don't have a dedicated tick remover, what is the best type?
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looks like a pretty good technique to me, I did part of the Great Glen Way about a month ago and got 6 ticks on the back of my knees, I had to get a bit creative that day, ended up gouging them out with a rock and rubbing in some hand sanitiser , yea rough I know, nothing else I could do at the time but I certainly wasn't going to leave them in my legs for 2 or 3 days till I got home, its still itchy when I sweat, right now I have 4 big holes round my right ankle from ticks a couple of weeks ago and removed 3 from my belly and groin yesterday. My chick ran her hand down my leg the other night and nearly puked when she touched the scabs, Bless, Honestly in the last 10 years I think I must have had about 500 ticks easy, I do carry the tick tool 99.9999% of the time I forgot my FAK once in the last 10 years. The tick in the vid looked like it came out pretty clean to me.
Hi RORYMAX Some times the ticks are so small I don't know I have them till I get a wee itchy swelling and even with the small tool very hard to remove , as for the thread technique or cutting a notch in a bit of plastic no chance, for the wee ones anyway. some time I have to use the macro on my camera and zoomin just to ID the little ######.
Hi RORYMAX Some times the ticks are so small I don't know I have them till I get a wee itchy swelling and even with the small tool very hard to remove , as for the thread technique or cutting a notch in a bit of plastic no chance, for the wee ones anyway. some time I have to use the macro on my camera and zoomin just to ID the little ######.
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I have the tick key among the plethora of 'good things for removing ticks', and though it does work, it only works on biggish ones. That's the only reason I'm a bit hesitant to say that the credit card idea would work. It does have a huge advantage in that it hangs on everybody in the family's keyring, so it's right at hand, iimmc.
Someone needs to sort out doing that for the otom tool thing because of all of them, that's the easiest and most reliable one I think.
Himself seems to attract ticks, and keds
so I kind of went a bit overboard trying out all the variables around.
The fine tipped gripper nipper tweezers work well too, and they do hang on the keyrings.
M
Someone needs to sort out doing that for the otom tool thing because of all of them, that's the easiest and most reliable one I think.
Himself seems to attract ticks, and keds
so I kind of went a bit overboard trying out all the variables around.The fine tipped gripper nipper tweezers work well too, and they do hang on the keyrings.
M
Cheers for that 21st century pict, what do you use\recommend, I'll spend a few quid for the right tool for the job, after all it will probably last me forever.
Something that stays in my wallet would be good, less chance of forgetting to take it with me
From what you say, I'm guessing that the Amazon one is not ideal then http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-System...sim_199_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1NBKZ0S0BQC6AP1WXH5G
Something that stays in my wallet would be good, less chance of forgetting to take it with me
From what you say, I'm guessing that the Amazon one is not ideal then http://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-System...sim_199_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1NBKZ0S0BQC6AP1WXH5G
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Hi again Rorymax
The tool I use I got from a pet shop, but it looks very much like that credit card tool would actually do the same job , very similar, first time I've seen that one , if the v notch is tiny it should work ok, as soon as my camera is charged ill post a image, but do like the wallet EDC idea.
The tool I use I got from a pet shop, but it looks very much like that credit card tool would actually do the same job , very similar, first time I've seen that one , if the v notch is tiny it should work ok, as soon as my camera is charged ill post a image, but do like the wallet EDC idea.
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