Five Common Mistakes People Make When Checking for Ticks
As tick populations grow ( thanks, climate change ) and tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease spread , tick checking has become routine for many of us. But do you know what it means to “check yourself for ticks”? Chances are, you’re missing some important steps in the process.
Mistake 1: Checking for ticks is only necessary after visiting the forest.
Are you a conscientious tick checker when you camp, but only when you camp? Ticks aren’t just found in the woods, and most areas of the U.S. have at least one tick species. Check out these tick maps from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to see if you have them in your area and what species to watch out for. Dog ticks are found everywhere; a few species are found only in the eastern part of the country, and in the West, there are the Rocky Mountain tick and the western black-legged tick.
Ticks live in grassy, brushy, and wooded areas, notes the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Growing up in Pennsylvania, I always assumed that ticks were found in woods and farm fields. But years later, I know that ticks are in my yard, parks, and other places that don’t fit my stereotype.
I check myself for ticks whenever I’m near tall grass, fallen leaves, woods, or brush—basically anywhere I go in the summer. Don’t forget to check your kids for ticks, too.
Mistake 2: Skipping a shower
If you think of “checking for ticks” as a separate chore, it’s easy to forget. But if you make sure to shower after going outside, it gives you a chance to thoroughly check yourself while you’re undressing, and may wash away ticks even if you weren’t thorough enough (or forgot to do it at all).
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that showering within two hours of returning home from an outdoor activity reduces the risk of Lyme disease and may also reduce the risk of contracting other tick-borne diseases.
Ticks crawl around for hours before they find a place to attach, so there’s a good chance that unattached ticks will wash off during your shower, whether you notice them or not. Plus, you ‘ll have a few hours to wash off the poison ivy oils before they start causing a rash. A shower is always on my post-run to-do list.
Another benefit of showering when you get home is that it gives you a chance to undress—and that’s where the real tick check comes in.
Mistake 3: Skipping these body parts
I always check the shins first. Ticks need to stay close to the ground while they wait for a person, so you won’t see them climbing trees and jumping down – that’s a myth . They cool off on the ground, then climb up a blade of grass, and then if they don’t find a victim, they return to the ground to rehydrate a bit.
This means that they usually hit your shins first, so if you’ve just returned from a hike, check your ankles, shins, and knees first.
But over the next few hours, they will rise to the top. Ticks are often found on the upper body or even in the hair. So check these less visible places, which I will list from bottom to top:
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Back of the knees
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Between the legs (use a mirror…sorry)
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Inside the navel
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In your armpits
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Behind the ears
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In your hair
A mirror or partner can help you see these hard-to-reach areas. If you have children, check them while you help them shower or change a diaper.
Mistake 4: Not knowing what you’re looking for
Find out what types of ticks are in your area and make sure you know their size and appearance. Ticks grow throughout their life cycle, and the smallest is about the size of a poppy seed. Adult ticks can range in size from a sesame seed to a corn kernel, depending on the species and whether they have fed.
Before they attach themselves, ticks crawl, and you might mistake them for other insects (and vice versa). There are many small insects that you can pick up from the outside that are not ticks. To know for sure if the insect you find is a tick, check the number of legs. Ticks are arachnids, so they have eight legs.
You may find an attached tick during your checkup — or, if you’re unlucky, the day after you’re supposed to. An attached tick won’t hurt. You may just notice a small scab or mole where there wasn’t one before, and upon closer inspection, it turns out to have legs . Yuck. Invest in some tick tweezers or your own handy tick remover . (I like the TickKey.)
Once the tick has finished feeding, it will fall off. If you have a pet dog and you don’t treat him with flea and tick medication, you may occasionally find what looks like a gray or green corn kernel in his bedding. That’s what it is. A tick that isn’t attached to you usually isn’t a health hazard if you find one in your home; it will likely dry out and die. But to be safe, you can wash your clothes or bedding in hot water and/or put them in the dryer on high. Next time, let your pet know that he’s on tick medication, and check everyone for ticks when you come home.
Mistake 5: Not having a plan of action when a tick is discovered
If you find a tick crawling on you, it’s simple: wash it off with water, shake it off (if you’re outside), or crush it and throw it in the trash. But what if the tick has already attached itself? That’s where you need to know how to remove it properly.
Forget about extinguished matches, soap, or rubbing alcohol . You don’t want to do anything that might cause the tick to release itself, as it may regurgitate its stomach contents into your bloodstream, increasing your risk of contracting a tick-borne disease. Instead, remove the tick from your skin with fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-teasing device like the TickKey or Tick Twister. I keep a TickKey in my bathroom at home and take another one with me when I travel. Just push the little slit onto the tick and pull it out—even the most squeamish of people can do it.