Pulling it out using tweezers is the method recommended also by Swedish Healthcare.
Important to know though, is that you're supposed to grab it as close to the skin as possible, going for its MOUTH PARTS. Squeezing it's body might transfer its contagious substances. (1: You don't want to use tweezers with parallell edges. ' > ' is good... ' = ' is bad. 2: You want to grab the tick over/under, since side/side will be wider.)
* If tweezers aren't available or if the available ones will be of the "body squeezing kind", another method is to use a thin thread. Make a loop around the tick (down by its head) and pull it out.
Another important thing to know is to pull the tick out straight, gently and slowly, without twitching or twisting, as both might break off their mouth parts. (Some years ago they said on TV: "Screw it out counterclockwise.". Today they have changed their mind about that.)
Yet another important thing to know is that there's no need to panic if you DO break off the mouth parts. The risk of Borrelia is now eliminated. After a couple of days, there will be a little infection though and now you can lift out the remaining parts (like you would with a splinter).
Yet ANOTHER important thing to know is what they write about smothering them: "It's very important that you don't try to smother it with butter (etc.). This might cause it to inject contagious substances into the blood."
... and before you start chewing on me, remember: This is not me speaking. "Don't shoot the messenger." ;o)
/Nick
On 8/9/06, Deborah Duran <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
I don't think you're supposed to smother them. You risk them infecting you
when you do that. You're supposed to pull them gently out with tweezers.
Then I clean it out immediately with an antiseptic.
I finally found a natural tick remedy for my back yard. I just put in more
bird feeders and I haven't seen a single tick yet this year. :) Last year
I had to remove at least five of them just from gardening in my back yard.
I thought the birds would bring more ticks but I guess they're eating them
instead. My neighbor has had a big problem with them in her yard this year.
We have a lot LYME disease here and my town has the highest numbers. It's a
real problem.
Regards,
Deb
www.uftri.org
www.linesend.com
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]] On
Behalf Of Chapman, Chris
Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 10:17 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: RE: [VFB] TICK REMOVAL METHOD
I have heard vaseline works also. The key is to cover their breathing
tube which sticks out of the skin while they are under it.
Thanks,
Chris
-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ]
On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2006 10:04 AM
To: [email protected]
Subject: [VFB] TICK REMOVAL METHOD
Where I fish there is a very good chance of coming home with some ticks.
In some areas around here 60% of the deer ticks
are carrying Lyme disease. Supposedly they need to be attached
between 24 to 48 hours to infect a person. So if you don't find them
before they bite you, removal as quickly as possible is advised.
TICK REMOVAL
A School Nurse has written the info below -- good enough to share --
"I had a pediatrician tell me what she believes is the best way to
remove
a tick. This is great, because it works in those places where it's
sometimes difficult to get to with tweezers: between toes, in the
middle of a head full of dark hair, etc. Apply a glob of liquid soap
to
a
cotton ball. Cover the tick with the soap-soaked cotton ball and swab
it
for a few seconds (15-20), the tick will come out on it's own and be
stuck
to the cotton ball when you lift it away. This technique has worked
every
time I've used it (and in KY, that was frequently), and it's much less
traumatic for the patient and easier for me. Unless someone is
allergic
to soap,
I can't see that this would be damaging in any way. I even had my
doctor's wife
call me for advice because she had one stuck to her back and she
couldn't
reach
it with tweezers. She used this method and immediately called me back
to
say,
"It worked!" "
