How to PROPERLY remove a tick.

[~ Pakiha ~]

I noticed in some of the recent threads the descriptions of how you are removing your ticks and the way your doing it can be DANGEROUS. So I thought I'd post the proper removal to help teach those who don't know how and to refresh those of us who may have gotten lazy.

• [SIZE=3][FONT=Arial]To remove the tick properly use sharp pointed tweezers, or specially made tick tweezers,[/FONT][/SIZE]
• [SIZE=3][FONT=Arial]Grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible, as close to its embedded mouthparts as you can.[/FONT][/SIZE]
  • [SIZE=3][FONT=Arial]If you squeeze the body or head, you risk compressing the guts and salivary glands and expelling even more organisms through their mouth into your body.[/FONT][/SIZE]
• [SIZE=3][FONT=Arial]Do not twist the tick or turn the tweezers as you pull out the tick.[/FONT][/SIZE]
  • [SIZE=3][FONT=Arial]Pull out straight with a slow, steady motion[/FONT][FONT=Arial]. [/FONT][/SIZE]
  • [SIZE=3][FONT=Arial]Twisting may force more organisms into your body, and may result in the head or more of the mouthparts being left in your body. [/FONT][/SIZE]
• [SIZE=3][FONT=Arial]Do not apply any substances to the tick before removing it – [/FONT][/SIZE]
  • [SIZE=3][FONT=Arial]No alcohol or nail polish, [/FONT][/SIZE]
  • [SIZE=3][FONT=Arial]No petroleum jelly or other ointments[/FONT][/SIZE]
  • [SIZE=3][FONT=Arial]Do not try to burn it out or otherwise convince to let go of you. It won't let go. [/FONT][/SIZE]
• [SIZE=3][FONT=Arial]It will just happily keep on sucking your blood and pumping pathogens into you.[/FONT][/SIZE]

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=3]Also keep the tick in a container and write which trail you got it on, just in case you get a nasty disease and die and we find you rotting in your home, cause you never made the ride. I want to know which trail to spread your ashes on[/SIZE][/FONT]

[FONT=Arial][SIZE=3]With all seriousness though ticks can carry illnesses I would not wish to be received even by a member of the Iraqi Republican Gaurd. Keep each tick in a seperate container with the location of the trail you were riding marked. If you do get sick the CDC is going to want to know where, so they can beter help you.[/SIZE][/FONT]

[Chaos]

Good stuff man... lots of nice to know info
thanks!

[LBmtb]

Good info, thanks Jared! REI has special tick removing tweezers - this one and this one.

[gurp13]

I was one who got a tick. But, I didn't know it was a tick at first. I knew it hurt and I was looking in the mirror at the underside of my thigh. I couldn't see any detail, just that I had a black spot there. I thought it was dried mud so I scraped real hard. Luckily, the tick hadn't started feeding. It had bit me, but not feeding. If I had known it was a tick I would have been more careful removing it. I didn't know to keep it, though. I read that *after* I flushed it down the drain. Good info to know.

I might also recommend some tick repellant. Something with 30% Deet should do the trick. But, be careful around your synthetics with that stuff because it'll eat it.

[Skeeter]

Great post Pakiha, i know they loved Lance last week at El Moro, so they are out in force.

[ECOdork]

Yeah, I've been lucky since then....

Originally Posted by RSMLA

Great post Pakiha, i know they loved Lance last week at El Moro, so they are out in force.

[Schecky]

don't forget - They generally need to be feeding for 24 hours before they can give you something, so you have a little time before you need to be concerned.

[Von-Diggity]

I just tell my wife to take them off for me!

[jinks]

I finished a ride at El Morro this morning and found my first ever tick stuck in my thigh! I'm kinda freaking out. I've been riding since the late 80's and never had a tick before! I pulled it out with tweasers and it looks like I got it all out. Do I need to go to the doctor or anything? I don't want to end up dead in a couple months

I discovered one in the side of my stomach last night after Turnbull. Luckily it wasnt too far in yet, and the head was burrowed but I used some small manicure type scissors that curve upward, wedged them underneath the little bubb and gently pulled outward and upward, got him all out in one piece. I then rubbed the area with hydrogen peroxide with a cotton ball and showered.

I had a similar incident awhile back and I'm still alive, I treated it the same way I just described.

[jinks]

cool. I did pretty much the same thing. Pulled it out, put the tick in a bag, just in case, and rubbed the area with some peroxide.

[ECOdork]

Good move. Chances are you're fine, but keep that sucker in the freezer or in some alcohol just in case.
If you start to get a rash in the area or flu-like symptoms (at least I think you'd get flu-like symptoms...check online), get to a doctor soon and bring your little buddy so he can ID it.

Originally Posted by jinks

cool. I did pretty much the same thing. Pulled it out, put the tick in a bag, just in case, and rubbed the area with some peroxide.

Dang, I popped mine then flushed him down the toilet...

[ECOdork]

you're screwed!

just kidding, I'm sure it's no biggie. But if you did get a mysterious sickness after having a tick I'd be sure to mention that to a doctor. I've heard that if those tick diseases are treated soon, they're no problem, but if not, they suck. A old college roommate had one, poor dude felt like crap and was on antibiotics for what seemed like ages.

Originally Posted by DINO

Dang, I popped mine then flushed him down the toilet...

thanks lance!!!

[dirttorpeedo]

Originally Posted by DINO

Dang, I popped mine then flushed him down the toilet...

you can borrow mine,just call him george.he ...uh it likes that name,i took it from outlaw. good info above tho!

[Epic_Mtn_Biker]

Originally Posted by ECOdork

Good move. Chances are you're fine, but keep that sucker in the freezer or in some alcohol just in case.
If you start to get a rash in the area or flu-like symptoms (at least I think you'd get flu-like symptoms...check online), get to a doctor soon and bring your little buddy so he can ID it.

Good advice there, Amigo; thanx!!

[jinks]

Great info, guys. My little buddy's in the freezer, I'll name her Butthead, first thing that popped in my head. I put the date on there just in case I have another little buddy to add to the collection. It's DEET every ride for the rest of summer!

I like the idea of DEET, I'm gonna pick some up before Toads.

[FoShizzle]

cool info....

last time i got a tick i died