Ticks

[sam09]

Watch out folks these wee blighters are out in force. Check yourselves and pets for them after a walk.

If Found, If no tools are available, rather than delay use a cotton thread. Tie a single loop of cotton around the tick’s mouthparts, as close to the skin as possible, then pull upwards and outwards without twisting. DO start by cleansing the tweezers/tool with antiseptic. After tick removal, cleanse the bite site and the tool with antiseptic.
DO wash hands thoroughly afterwards.
DO save the tick in a container in case a doctor asks for evidence that you have been bitten (label it with date and location).
DO NOT squeeze the body of the tick, as this may cause the head and body to separate, leaving the head embedded in your skin.
DO NOT use your fingernails to remove a tick. Infection can enter via any breaks in your skin, e.g. close to the fingernail.
DO NOT crush the tick’s body, as this may cause it to regurgitate its infected stomach contents into the bite wound.

DO NOT try to burn the tick off, apply petroleum jelly, nail polish or any other chemical. Any of these methods can cause discomfort to the tick, resulting in regurgitation, or saliva release.


Alternatively, kill the tick by crushing it and flushing it down the toilet, or by folding it in a strip of sticky tape and placing it in the waste. Be aware that engorged ticks will contain potentially infected blood, which may splatter when crushed. Do not crush the tick with your fingers and do not allow the crushed tick or the blood it carried to contact your skin.

The tick that generally bites humans can be as small as a poppy seed or full stop on this page. Small children are generally bitten above the waist—check their hairline and scalp. Do NOT use eyebrow tweezers to remove a tick as this may squash it. Use a proper tick removal tool.