How to Remove a Tick Without Touching It
If you find a tick on yourself, it’s perfectly normal to want to crawl out of your skin, burn it, and live your life showing off your bones and muscles. Since it didn’t work the last time I tried it, I’m happy to report that there is a safe, effective way to get rid of the mite from your skin. More than one, in fact.
But put the matches aside. Both soap and alcohol. They can cause the tick to release itself, but they also cause the tick to spew stomach contents into your bloodstream. This is disgusting and increases the risk of contracting tick-borne diseases like Lyme. Instead, you need specialized hardware. Get it now before you need it. You have several options and they are all under $ 10 each.
I prefer Tick Key . I actually used this in real life, although I got a little scared (I respect arachnids and insects as important parts of the ecosystem, but I really don’t like touching them) and it’s pretty simple. You place the large end of the keyhole over the tick and then simply slide it so that the tick hits the small end. That’s all. The check mark is unchecked.
If done correctly, pressing on the skin can remove the entire creature. If you’re a little shy, like me, you may end up leaving your mouth in your skin. But at this moment they are not attached to a living breathing monster, so there is nothing to worry about. The oral apparatus is very, very small, and as the bite heals, they will come out. Once the mite is gone from your skin, your job is done.
My vet prefers the Tick Twister , which is easier to use because the fur doesn’t get in the way. You pull the fork around the tick and then twist until it pops out.
There are other brands like Ticked Off that work in a similar way. You can also, if you are not too squeamish, press the little guy to the skin with pointed tweezers. (Either a special pair of tweezers for ticks, or just an ordinary pair of fairly small sizes.)
When you have a tick, you can toss it into a jar of rubbing alcohol to make sure it’s dead. I usually put it in a bag to keep it from slipping away and throw it in the bin; Another smart approach is to wrap it with duct tape.
Finally, try not to do this again by checking yourself every day for ticks. The shower washes off the little guys very well before they have time to cleave. If you’ve just finished your hike and are worried about crawling around with these things, use your nap roller a few times to wait until you shower.