Monday, July 1, 2019

A Teaching Moment - How to Remove a Tick


Three days ago, I did a blog post video on How to Remove a Tick. I showed this video to friends, and many laughed at it, while some said, "ugh" and a few said "disgusting."  One said, “I just flick them off with my finger.” The “flick them off” is undoubtedly the best choice for tick removal, BUT what if the tick’s head is embedded in the skin!!

See this first video at https://outdooradventurers.blogspot.com/2019/06/outdoor-steve-removes-tick.html

Within an hour of this video, and the accompanying comments, my youngest sister yelled, "You have a tick on your neck!" My first reaction was, "Ticks are not a joke." Other friends gathered around, and sure as can be, a tick was embedded.

I removed my HOW TO REMOVE A TICK vee notch card from my wallet.  Fortunately, my camera was nearby, and I asked a friend to document this "Teaching Moment" on how to remove an embedded tick.  After removal, wash the bite site with soap and warm water.

Hey, some guys are "Chick Magnets.“ Does this make me a "Tick Magnet?"



I have also used fine-tipped tweezers to remove a tick. If using tweezeers, grasp the part of the tick that's closest to your skin -- you want to grab the head, not the belly. Slowly pull the tick straight out, without twisting it. 

Do not have a tick removal notch card?  Quickly make your own from a like plastic card as seen in the video below:  


References 


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