Tick Removal

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Tick Removal
« on: May 15, 2007, 01:47:19 PM » by ShabbyChic

Well I did not see a thread specifically for removing ticks, how to remove a tick, etc. I just got this e-mail and thought I'd forward the info.

Tick Removal
Please forward to anyone with children,or hunters, etc!! thanks!

A School Nurse has written the info below -- good enough to share -- And it really works!!

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 let it stay on the repulsive insect for a few seconds (15-20), after which 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 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!"

Please pass on; everyone needs this helpful hint.

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That's Shabby SHEIK not Shabby CHICK. Hee-hee.

Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #1 on: May 15, 2007, 01:55:36 PM » by earthymomof2

THANKS!! I will file that one away in my memory!!

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #2 on: May 15, 2007, 02:07:04 PM » by LKS

That's great advice! Of course I've always told my husband, "If I ever have a tick on me, don't tell me, just shoot me" AAAAHHHHHHHH! My son came up to me once, "Mom, what's this on my neck?" "Let me see, why that looks like, GO FIND DAD!" and with that I jumped back about 3 feet Shocked

I HATE ticks! Bleck!
LKS

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #3 on: May 15, 2007, 02:56:30 PM » by freshisbest

My understanding of this method is that it has to be bar soap. For some reason the liquid soaps don't work. I've done this many times...we live in CT and ticks are rampant. Bar soap, cotton ball, counterclockwise. Works like a charm!

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #4 on: May 20, 2007, 03:19:12 PM » by ShabbyChic

Well I got to try this on Friday. It was so ironic. We had been at a friend's house that is "woodsier" than ours and they have pets and when we came home my son had a tick.

He found it and started to cry. He showed it to me and I laid him down and squirted target brand milk and honey liquid hand soap on it. And the tick just died. He got really stiff, I removed him, and then he was dead. I squirted so much soap on him I think he may have suffocated.

I didn't remember the exact directions, just something about soap, and it worked very well and very quickly. I was nervous. Around 3-4 minutes and he was gone.

I really, really hate ticks. My husband (a spider connoisseur) says ticks are an embarrassment to the arachnid family. Cheesy

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That's Shabby SHEIK not Shabby CHICK. Hee-hee.

Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #5 on: May 20, 2007, 05:40:50 PM » by blessedmommy

i was told by a doc that the only safe way to get them out is pull... somtimes the head will be left but that is no the dangerous part. putting any concoction on it will 9 times out of 10 make the tick upset and then all the stuff he just sucked out will be spit back out and that is when you get lime disease and other yucky stuff. the body is where all the blood is sucked to... the head is not dangerous any more after the body is gone. most times it will be pushed out by your body. you can try to dig it out but that is not really needed.

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #6 on: May 20, 2007, 06:55:05 PM » by Isaacsmama

Quote from: LKS on May 15, 2007, 02:07:04 PM

I HATE ticks! Bleck!
LKS

this was me totally a while back. When I was a teen I had one in my ear lobe and found it while on the highway driving with my mom
(she was driving) and I totally freaked out and made her pull over and get it out. But, I got used to them living in VA working with horses that roamed the woods.....anyway, you get the idea. But, I have pulled out probably thousands of ticks from horses, dogs, cats, myself. and I have NEVER had one break. I dont think I used any special technique, just grabbed and pulled.

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #7 on: May 20, 2007, 11:33:31 PM » by mercy

Quote from: blessedmommy on May 20, 2007, 05:40:50 PM

Don't know about making the tick upset and such, but I can tell you from painful personal experience that a tick head left in the skin can and will get infected. This happened to me just this month, and I had to dig the head out, then treat the infection. It is healing now, but is not back to normal yet.

Since a tick only breathes once every seven minutes or so, I don't think that the liquid soap could have "drowned" him; but he might be ingesting some of the soap, and that might kill him. Can't wait to try this next time I get one--though I hope I never have another! Till now, all I've known to do is get them off with tweezers. I knew I did it right if it took a plug of skin with it--ouch!

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #8 on: May 21, 2007, 01:44:10 AM » by mom24boys

Quote from: ShabbyChic on May 20, 2007, 03:19:12 PM

My husband (a spider connoisseur) says ticks are an embarrassment to the arachnid family. Cheesy

That is so funny!! Cheesy

And I forget who said it but I'm all for being shot if I ever get a tick!! <insert a-not-so-smileyface screaming insanely here> or even a leech for that matter Shocked

nasty little blood suckers both of them. <shudder>

« Last Edit: May 21, 2007, 01:46:07 AM by mom24boys »
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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #9 on: May 21, 2007, 07:36:45 AM » by natural

Quote from: blessedmommy on May 20, 2007, 05:40:50 PM

I 2nd this

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #10 on: May 21, 2007, 09:38:35 AM » by Isaacsmama

Quote from: mom24boys on May 21, 2007, 01:44:10 AM

And I forget who said it but I'm all for being shot if I ever get a tick!! <insert a-not-so-smileyface screaming insanely here> or even a leech for that matter Shocked

nasty little blood suckers both of them. <shudder>

and not only nasty, but rude, you know when the female feeds on you she is busy copulating with the male. If you find an engorged female, just look under her, there will be a tiny little male atached to her. YUCK!

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #11 on: May 21, 2007, 09:46:59 AM » by ShabbyChic

That is DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!! Where is the barfing emoticon?!

I have always tried to use the tweezers as close to where the tick is latched on as possible to make sure I get the head and not the body only. I didn't realize they could regurgitate. And we check for ticks whenever we come in from outside play. Still...

ICK !!!@!@!(*&$@^!~!!!

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #12 on: May 21, 2007, 10:12:01 AM » by healthyinOhio

Quote from: ShabbyChic on May 21, 2007, 09:46:59 AM

That is DISGUSTING!!!!!!!!! Where is the barfing emoticon?!

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #13 on: May 21, 2007, 10:50:28 AM » by ShabbyChic

You're the best! Kiss

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #14 on: May 24, 2007, 12:02:30 AM » by healthybratt

Quote from: Isaacsmama on May 21, 2007, 09:38:35 AM

Quote from: mom24boys on May 21, 2007, 01:44:10 AM

And I forget who said it but I'm all for being shot if I ever get a tick!! <insert a-not-so-smileyface screaming insanely here> or even a leech for that matter Shocked

nasty little blood suckers both of them. <shudder>

Okay, that was just TMI Tongue

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #15 on: May 24, 2007, 07:37:09 AM » by heatheronthehill

What about getting ticks off of animals? Can you use the soap smothering technique on them to avoid pulling out a bunch of fur?

*I'm dreading giving the cat a bath this afternoon!!!* Tongue

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #16 on: May 24, 2007, 09:47:00 AM » by ShabbyChic

I don't know about animals because I'm allergic and have the privilege of not having to care for them. But after she's good and clean maybe you could shave her. I have a few friends who do this to their pets in summer because it's wretched hot down here.

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That's Shabby SHEIK not Shabby CHICK. Hee-hee.

Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #17 on: June 02, 2007, 07:54:01 AM » by Kansas Girl

Quote from: ShabbyChic on May 15, 2007, 01:47:19 PM

Hurray!!! What a wonderful hint. Our new puppy had a tick on him and this solution worked like a charm. As a side note, it has to be regular soap. We tried my Ivory dish soap and that must have been to gentle to remove the tick. Regular soap did the trick just great. Thanks WTM!!! -KG

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #18 on: June 06, 2007, 01:17:39 PM » by ShabbyChic

I just found a tick head with one leg on me. I remember, now, scratching my belly in the night. Could I have pulled the body off? Am I at higher risk because there was just a head?

I hate ticks.

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That's Shabby SHEIK not Shabby CHICK. Hee-hee.

Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #19 on: June 06, 2007, 01:46:46 PM » by morningglory

My doctor told me the best way to get a tick off painlessly is to smother him with a cotton ball soaked in alcohol. She said the tick will get drunk and woozy, and either let go on his own, or be so tipsy that you can pull him right off. LOL! I have this mental picture of an enormous bloated tick staggering around Cheesy

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #20 on: June 06, 2007, 02:30:20 PM » by earthymomof2

Shabby,

Did you get the whole thing out and is there any inflammation? If no, I woudln't say you're at any more risk than usual. I just had a tick on me Saturday also, but he was barely attatched and as flat as a pancake (hadn't sucked anything). No inflammation or anything, so I feel I'm not at risk.

I don't know much about ticks (we're recently transplanted to the country city slickers), so this thread has been helpful. ;-)

Sarah

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #21 on: June 11, 2007, 01:03:10 PM » by ShabbyChic

Well here are my 2 tick escapades for the summer.

I found the first one on the top of my thigh and pulled it off with tweezers. The bite got a head and looked like a pimple, but I never did anything to it and it was SUPREMELY itchy for around 4-5 weeks. It never had bullseye circles.

I found the second tick (just a head) and removed it, too. Waited for bullseye circles and there were none. This time when it turned into a pimple looking thing I squeezed it and some stuff came out, but it also turned into a blood blister. I cleaned it very well with alcohol and lanced it with a needle. LOTS of blood. Then I covered it in coconut oil. 12 hours later it was fine. No swelling, no itching, no pimple, no redness, just a little scab.

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #22 on: July 10, 2007, 12:45:12 PM » by earthymomof2

My little three year old had a tick on his face this morning. Beats me where he got it. I bathed him yesterday evening before bed and there was no sign of it then. It was after breakfast this morning that I was wiping his face and noticed this little black thing that wouldn't come off, so I looked closer and saw a body and legs, the head was really in there!! I smothered it with alcohol for several minutes, I then smothered it with my homemade balm, then smothered it with carmex, and it still hung on. So I took him in to the doc and she grabbed it with a tweezers and applied "traction" for about a minute or so, and finally he let go and nothing was left imbedded in my son's skin. She said this was advice she was given from a dermatologist who said to pull on it for about 20 seconds and it will want to let go. This one was rather tenacious, but he did finally come out. They're sending it for testing to see if it carried lyme disease, but I think he's going to be just fine.

Just another tip if all else fails.

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #23 on: July 10, 2007, 04:06:36 PM » by freshisbest

Twist counterclockwise .. while grabbinng with tweezer. OR, cotton ball rubbed on BAR soap, then rub counterclockwise. The tick grabs on to the cotton.

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #24 on: July 10, 2007, 09:24:56 PM » by BJ_BOBBI_JO

I grab the tick down as close to the pets or persons skin as I can because I want to make sure a peice of skin comes out with the tick, that way I know it's head did not come off and stay in the skin.

I grab it like that and then suddenly twist and pull at the same time clockwise. So far it has worked every time for me.

Since we no longer have chickens to feed them to I flush them down the toilet because those evil little things dont die very easy. They can be smashed, ran over, stomped on, poked with a sharp stick and they some how manage to survive. One of my sisters one time pulled one off of her and used her liter to try and kill it right away. The crazy tick lived threw the fire flame.

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #25 on: July 11, 2007, 01:34:56 PM » by healthybratt

Quote from: BJ_BOBBI_JO on July 10, 2007, 09:24:56 PM

They pop if you roast'em. Shocked

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #26 on: July 11, 2007, 01:39:11 PM » by BJ_BOBBI_JO

LOL!

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #27 on: July 12, 2007, 10:29:37 AM » by mamaofangels

I am fortunate to live in CO where ticks are few and far between. (I have never seen one here but I keep getting told we have them in the mountains) Any ways. We visit My In laws in MO every year. The first time I saw a tick I thought it was a spider! And the first tick bite I got was on my pubic area. Yuck!!!! Tongue

I have learned since then to just pull them off. I really worried about disease so I did some research and found that the tick has to be attached for 12 -24 hours before it can transmit disease to you. That was a relief to me. I have since gotten much braver in dealing with them. I know one day my Hubby will move us all to MO and I will have to deal with them. Oh and this year I used that Vinegar of the four theives bug spray and the ticks still crawled on me but didn't bite. Yeah!
Jenny

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #28 on: May 27, 2008, 05:03:52 PM » by Pennie

Any other tick removal ideas? I have tried both soaps w/ the cotton ball and he is NOT coming out and I don't think he is dead. I am pretty worried about it. It is on my husband and there is a very red spot right where the tick is and there is kind of a welt. I did the soap thing after reading they get mad and spit back their poison....wonderful. Knowing someone that is damaged from Rocky mountain spotted fever TOTALLY stresses me about ticks. Can any one help me? And is there anything I should give my husband in case it's a "bad" tick?

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Re: Tick Removal
« Reply #29 on: May 27, 2008, 05:07:56 PM » by Mrs. B

We've been dealing with ticks alot the past week. This is what we have done that has worked:
We get some tweezers and heat them with a lighter or on a gas stove top until hot... then pull the tick off that way. I've also used a match that has been lit and then blown out to touch the tick and then pull it off.
I've also covered them completely with vaseline for a few minutes and then pulled them off.

I am no tick expert, but these things have worked for us so far....

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