How do you remove ticks? [Archive]

Marmot

2nd July 2005, 08:37 AM

The problem with ticks is if they leave their hear behind then the wound may become septic.
Any techniques for getting rid of the little buggers?

Ollie

2nd July 2005, 10:43 AM

I have no idea - I don't know why, but when anyone ever mentions ticks i flinch and shiver a bit... clueless as to why!

Keefy

2nd July 2005, 10:14 PM

Any blood sucking thing is bad, especially if you make it spit! It may give you a nasty dieseas like Malaria or Hepatitus.
The following are sure fire ways of making them spit their insides into you so DO NOT do them:

Hot match - Bad!
Pliers or tweezers - Bad!
Flicking them off - Bad!

From what I have heard (not necessarily correct) the best way to remove them is to use a credit card. You push the card horizontally across your skin like a paint scraper hopefully removing it.

Probably the safest bet though is to let it have it's fill, then it will drop off by itself.

Keefy

allanscot

3rd July 2005, 08:19 AM

Here is a good artical about tick removal -
http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=5832

timmygowalkies

3rd June 2006, 04:52 PM

I recently recieved a new pair of Tick-tweezers through the Trail magazine.

The method that they suggest;
Use a medical swab, such as alcohol thingies, to clean the area around the tick. Then use the tweezers and grasp the tick firmly and gently twist pulling upwards while doing so.

Another method that I have used and it appeared to work;
Light a match and then blow it out. As soon as you've blown it out and it's glowing red and place it on the backside of the tick (I wouldn't suggest doing this to your wife/husband/girlfriend/boyfriend -- you might get an adverse result!). The tick will withdraw it's head from your skin you can then use tweezers to pick it up, or if it has come fully out you can just flick it away.

Timmy

scootaland

30th August 2006, 06:00 PM

My Missus had one in her arm a few years back. I scraped it off, but was concerned that it might have left something nasty in the wound, so I used Savlon or Germolene (I can't remember exactly) and a plaster over the wound - apparently it draws out any foriegn bodies and is antiseptic, but you must cover it with a plaster and leave it overnight. It also works for splinters - draws 'em straight out.

Scootermaniac

wandering_fox

31st August 2006, 08:46 AM

I've always used tweezers. BUT you have to make sure you grasp the head of the tick (Normally under the skin). If you just grab the visible body and pull you will leave the head/mouth in the wound and this will become infected.

#3 diseases - not too likely in the UK for blood bourne diseases as you mostly come across sheep ticks which have had no other contact with humans.
BUT in the SW and moving northwards are deer ticks infected with Lyme disease. This is nasty. If you are unwell within a couple of weeks of walking in affected regions you should consult your GP and specifically mention that you'e been in Lyme disease countryside. I think they just take a blood test to check.

wandering_fox

1st September 2006, 10:34 AM

Just the next day ticks feature on BBC news http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/5304628.stm
Lyme disease "One of the first symptoms is usually a characteristic bullseye-shaped rash and if caught early, the disease is treatable with antibiotics."

Marmot

1st September 2006, 11:47 AM

There is a special "tick-tool" which is like a mini version of the claw of a hammer, which you can hook underneath the tick and then pry them off

MariaD

1st September 2006, 12:49 PM

I've never even seen one of these mythical 'ticks' of which you speak. Long may it continue...

Scott

3rd September 2006, 09:08 PM

Burning it with a fag, a match, smothering it with vaseline are all big no no's. Doing this will cause the tick to vomit into the bloodstream, potentially passing on god knows what. I wouldn't reccomend leaving it to get it's fill either, get it off as soon as possible using a pair of tweezers with the twist and pull method.

It's certainly not a given that if you get the head stuck in your going to get infected, get lymes disease, die a horrible death. Most of the time it will be fine and the head will be naturally ejected from the skin over time.

Marmot

3rd September 2006, 09:52 PM

I thought vaseline was a suffocation technique and so negated the whole vomiting in the blood stream episode?

by the looks of it, all techniques to remove ticks are as bad if not worse then having them - but they do actually hurt so leaving them isnt a great option either are there any ways to prevent being hooked by a tick in the first place? does DEET work for instance?

Scott

3rd September 2006, 10:57 PM

Spraying your clothes with deet/permethrin might help, I've also heard that having a lot of garlic in your diet will help keep them away, although thisis only really applicable in high risk infested areas.

I've done a bit of research on ticks and come to the conclusion that you should remove them as soon as possible, a tick that has been attached for less than 24 hours is less likely to have passed on lymes disease or other infectious bacteria.

wandering_fox

4th September 2006, 09:12 AM

The easiest way is too keep covered up - long trousers plus gaiters. This is not 100% because they can and do crawl around to get acess to the skin.
Walking through tall bracken where sheep have been grazing is the most likely place to pick them up.

No they don't hurt at any time they are on you, but its better to remove them.

Scott

4th September 2006, 09:29 AM

Funnily enough it looks like I picked up a tick and broke it's body off when itching without realising I had one latched on me. This morning I noticed a red mark with a small black dot in the centre, looks like I have got the head stuck in me. Going to have to monitor it for a few weeks, make sure it doesn't get a red ring around it which is a sure indication of lymes.

MariaD

4th September 2006, 01:07 PM

Maybe the garlic is the reason ticks never come near me? I eat plenty of garlic...

suziehemb

24th June 2008, 08:46 PM

David

24th June 2008, 09:38 PM

My son has just come home with one embedded in his hip, I immediately went online and followed the directions for removal, but I've left the blooming jaws in his skin can't get them out for love or money. Ive smothered the area in TCP and put the sticky bit of a plaster over it, but I'm still going to take him to the doctor tomorrow I'm a tad worried.......

I wouldn't worry too much, but I would definately see a doctor. The tcp should keep it clean for the moment, but if you leave part of the tick in there it can rot and go nasty no mater how much you cover it up. I'd imagine the doctor will be able to get it out without too much trouble though.

Marmot

25th June 2008, 03:39 PM

i think having bits left in there is more serious in hot humid areas where chance of infaction is greater, in the Uk, im assuming? should be fine

MariaD

25th June 2008, 08:22 PM

Not true unfortunately - there is a definite risk of infection if the head is left in (and even if it isn't). I got bitten by a tick (for the first and only time ever!) at the Open5 & the bite got nastily infected even though I removed it correctly. A week of anti-bios sorted it out, but it wasn't very pleasant.

Suzie: it's the right decision to take your son to a doctor to get it looked at & removed properly. Better safe than sorry - it's not just Lyme disease that ticks can carry (which is relatively rare), there are all kinds of nasties which might cause problems if left untreated or embedded in the skin for significant amounts of time. Your son will almost certainly be fine regardless, but the doctor will be able to provide reassurance and keep an eye on anything dodgy.

suziehemb

26th June 2008, 09:32 PM

cheers for your replies, i took him to the doc and when they removed the plaster it was badly infected already. They had to give him a local anaesthetic and cut it out poor kid. Hes got 3 weeks worth of antibiotics hopefully it will be ok i must admit im still worried that they didnt get it all out. Cheers for the reassurances :)