To remove a tick...

[Silverback]

Hi, I am new to this site and this is my first post, I experienced ticks for the first time this summer. 4 of us were covered with them, some in the worst possible place for a male
Next time I camped in the same place I made sure I had eaten lots of garlic and wore deet, every tick that landed on me soon jumped off.

With respect to the infestation, the woods I use never usually have them but the farmer instructed someone to cull the deer, it was only after the culling that the woods became infected, so much so that the surrounding fields that are used for horses also became infected. They soon vanished though and have not re-appeared like they usually do at the end of the summer.

Eat lots of Garlic, or I have also found that the odourless capsules work as well - even for the majority of biting insects. I am one of those people that the bitey things like to feed off so I eat garlic with every meal now and suffer no more.

Cheers - the info on this site is fantastic everyone.

Lea

A warm welcome to you Lea and a great first post (makes mental note not to pitch anywhere near Lea at a moot in the future ) Why not nip on over to the intro thread and tell a bit about yourself in addition to being vampireproof! LOL

 

[Brocktor]

i read in a book that one way is to take a hot stick from fire, kill the tick with it then pull it off

 

[CamperPete]

From all accounts the knack is the way it's pulled out .......you have to make sure the head isn't left in hence the gentle twisting and then pull action.

As I've said I've not tried it yet.......... so am no expert.

 

[Moonraker]

i read in a book that one way is to take a hot stick from fire, kill the tick with it then pull it off

Brocktor there is a LOT of out of date and misleading advice still out there in older books and even web sites.

Using a hot stick will more likely cause more damage than the tick itself, from potential burns and infection for instance. The aim of correct tick removal is to dislodge the tick, which is attached with a purpose-designed serrated hard mouthpiece within the skin, without the transfer of the lyme disease causing bacteria from the ticks gut to your bloodstream. Using a specially designed tick remover (the pick type ones have been shown to be the most efficient) or carefully with fine tweezers, with care can extricate the tick without this happening.

Using techniques like Vaseline or burning matches/ wood causes the tick to regurgitate the contents of it's gut which is what you are trying to avoid.

The other danger from ticks is direct infection into the wound and if the head of the tick (which is attached very firmly) is left in the wound then measures need to be taken to reduce infection. Trying to dig it out will just make it worse and is best done by a someone with medical training.

It's great that people post suggestions and experiences but there has been lots of information posted on this subject and a quick search will help find these threads and help avoid possibly inaccurate information being reposted.

Last year I posted a thread based on the current 'best practice' including illustrations of how to correctly remove a tick and also the knot method posted earlier.

The thread is here, with links to further reading:

Tick Removal

With the recent increase in ticks carrying Lyme Disease (and other diseases) in Britain it is a subject that anyone working or enjoying the outdoors should be well versed on and a tick remover (a few quid) an essential item in any first aid kit.

I am not sure this is the right section for this subject but it seems sensible, given the frequency that this topic crops up (rightly), that one of the better threads can be selected as a Sticky

 

[gregorach]

Yeah, you really don't want to be using heat and you defintiley don't want to kill it while it's still in you. Its last action will almost certainly be to empty its stomach contents into your bloodstream.

A good tick removal should leave you with an intact, live tick. Then you kill it and burn the remains, whilst shouting "Die, you filthy ********** parasite!"

 

[Toddy]

You don't like them then Dunc?
I'm told they're tasty when full. Personally,

Cheers,
Toddy

 

[BorderReiver]

Yeah, you really don't want to be using heat and you defintiley don't want to kill it while it's still in you. Its last action will almost certainly be to empty its stomach contents into your bloodstream.

A good tick removal should leave you with an intact, live tick. Then you kill it and burn the remains, whilst shouting "Die, you filthy ********** parasite!"

Oh good,not just me then.

 

[gregorach]

I've had a lot of ticks... Worst were the big ol' "shellback" ticks in New South Wales - those things are huge!

Although, now I come to think about it, they're a lot easier to remove than the tiny little ticks you get in the Highlands... OK, I hate 'em all.

 

[l34sm]

Why waste money on a tick remover?
My girl-fiend has long enough finger nails and has become very good at romoving them.
As the other posts say you need to twist, The bitey bit of the tick has barbs like a fishing hook, when you pull back they just lodge. If you push and twist then the barbs flatten, at which point the tick easily (sometimes) comes out.
Or use a swiss army knife tweezer, these are metal, accompanied by a turboflame these can give a lot of satisfaction as they dont melt like the plastic tick removers available.

 

[Brocktor]

ok thanks moon, although ive never had a tick on me but now im prepared

 

[hardyferret]

Have found with our dogs, rolling the tick round with the tip of a finger seems to loosen them, to the point where they can be whipped off complete with the head etc.
Shown to us by a knowledgable dog/horsewoman, don't know if it makes the tick giddey or ??

Regards Jerry

 

[Goatboy]

I posted this elsewhere first then found Hardyferret had posted the same method here, it really does work: -

" ...One of the guys from my shoot showed me a method of tick removal which I wish I'd known about in my forester days. Works equally well on animals and humans.
Don't think it'll work on the nymph stage as they are a little small. Firstly part any hair / fur from around the tick and with your forefinger or a small stick if you cant reach GENTLY rotate your finger abound its opisthosoma (abdomen) in an anti-clockwise direction. Think one rotaion per half a second. Usually takes about twelve twirls and the wee beastie just falls out whole no sicking up into you and mouthparts intact. I would then recomend terminating the little blighter with extreme prejudice
As I say take it slow and gentle with them as once they are startled they grip on like superglue.
Happy tick hunting.
Goatboy...."

 

[wistuart]

Anyone know what the script is if you end up with the mouthparts still embedded in your flesh? I got bitten by one last year and whilst I was aware of the recommended removal procedures my execution was less than perfect. It turns out that the improvised dental floss method can result in decapitation if not done correctly. Anyway, I tried digging the head out with a needle but due to its close proximity to a major artery I had to abort. Gave it a good clean and battered with anticeptic assuming that it would either go bad quite quickly and require visit to doctor or that my body would break it down over time. The little sod is still in there many months later but aside from the occassional itch it's not causing me any grief.

Should I be bothered?

 

[gregorach]

Still there months later? You might want to go to the doctor's about that, just to be on the safe side. I'm surprised your skin hasn't formed a pustule around it and ejected it...

I've accidentally left bits of tick in me a few times, but I've always managed to dig them out. In some cases, I've even resorted to cutting them out with a scalpel.

If Doc's reading this, he's probably having a canary...

 

[303Brit]

Over here there are plenty of reports on tv about tick removal,disease from ticks etc., plus all chemists have leaflets on ticks available free here.Some chemists will even give you a free tick removal tool if you have purchased medicine there.

Most seem to recommend,pully the tick ,gently straight out,-not twisting.
Also its meant to be a myth that garlic keeps them at bay,according to a scientist on on a report i saw.However, last summer in the height of the tick season, after a jaunt in the forests here over 3 days,very smelly garlic smelling me-0 ticks(despite wearing shorts), mate-6 ticks.Could be just a coincidence?

Nice also to hear im not the only one who tortures these usless little parasites to death,show them no mercy,i cant stand them.

 

[Goatboy]

I ended up in hospital with a myocardial infarction a couple of years ago that the Docs attributed to a viral infection, and their eyes nearly popped out of their heads when I mentioned I was an ex forester. They never did get to the bottom of it but you can't be too careful. I still check carefully every time I'm out ( and I live in the country ) and avoid ticky patches of land like the plague.
Goatboy.

 

[Pantalaimon]

Just want to say that I have had to use a tick remover quite a few times. It is one from the vets as well. I was discussing this with one of the traders at the Wilderness Gathering (cannot remember the name but he was the one who did all the skinning) and as he advised that as a matter of course once you had taken the tick out (twist and pull) is to put the tick into some candle wax or something similar. It kills the tick but retains it in one piece if neded. He said that a sign of Lymes disease is a Bulls eye type mark appearing around the bite area and if this occured then the hospital would then be able to use the tick (encased in wax) to help with a cure.

Somebody please advise me if I am wrong on this.

The last tick I got a the Wilderness Gathering is still in wax. My daughter has been looking at it under a magnifying glass. Great stuff.

There are tests that look if a tick has the 'Lyme-disease'. The same tests exists to check if humans have it. But is isn't reliable. What is a sign of Lyme-disease is an erythema migrans. A ' bullseye' if you would call it so.

But not everyone with the Lyme-disease gets or sees it.

So yes, you could wax your tick, but it isn't proof. An erythema migrans is enough proof, your GP must give you antibiotics.

Just check your body every night after being in the woods. And those nymph stage ticks can be pretty invisible, even to the trained eye!

I have removed +/- 100 ticks from out of my flesh last year. This years count is now 8. That could make a nice candle!

 

[Opal]

Come home with muddy shoes/wellies and walk into the living room still wearing them, you should get a good ticking off from the missus...job done.

 

[ForgeCorvus]

I don't think you can do better then the O'Tom tick hook, its fairly cheap, it weights nearly nothing and (to my mind most importantly) it has no moving parts so I can't nacker it

As for disposal of the little B......errm....beggers, my favorate is to place them on a hot flat surface and bake them

 

[Gill]

100 - + is some amount of ticks to have had buddy.i take it you have had lymes disease at some point.