Tick season is in full swing! These insects can be found on your weekly summer hike, in your backyard on some shrubbery, or on the grass at your favorite park. Ticks are sneaky little insects that can hop onto your body, crawl around until they find a good, warm spot, and then feed on your blood. They are especially dangerous because they can give you Lyme disease, ehrlichiois, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and tularemia. Ticks are nothing to mess with and if you get a tick, it is best to remove it as soon as possible. Diseases such as Lyme disease can be prevented if a tick is removed within 24 hours. There are a lot of rumors about the best way to remove a tick, some include: burning it with a match, putting Vasoline on it to smoother it, pushing it out with a credit card, or even pulling it out with your hand. However, experts suggest not doing any of these things — the best way to remove a tick is with tweezers, as follows:

Step 1:Wash your hands and prepare the area with rubbing alcohol.

Step 2: Using a clean pair of fine-tipped tweezers, pinch the tick as close to the skin as possible

Step 3: Firmly pull the tick upward using even pressure. Some ticks may be holding onto the area tightly (they use their concrete-like saliva to stay put) — if necessary, apply extra pressure.

Step 4: Disinfect the area using rubbing alcohol

Step 5: Kill the tick to ensure that no one else (including pets) are bitten. Put it in a small bag, just in case it needs to be checked for diseases.

Some say that if you take a tick out using tweezers, you risk getting the head stuck. However, if you get close enough to the skin, the head usually will not get stuck. The tick’s straw like mouth may get stuck, however, experts say that it is not as dangerous and it should fall out on it’s own.

If you have been bitten by a tick, please remove it as quickly as possible. If you suspect that you may be sick due to a tick bite, visit a doctor as soon as possible. If you are going outside, doctors recommend having a tick check. If you would like to prevent backyard ticks from harming you and your loved ones, call Bybee Pest Control. We will help keep you and your family safe.