Ticks are dangerous because of the diseases they carry. If a tick bites you, kill it, but don't destroy its body. This way, you prevent the spread of bacteria and you can also use it to identify the disease, if it becomes contaminated. Make an effort to control loose ticks in the yard, as well as to keep them away from clothing and pets.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Killing a Sticky Tick
Step 1. Remove the tick
If it's attached to a person or a pet, this is the first step. Grasp it with pointed tweezers and pull in a slow, straight-line motion.
- Large-tipped tweezers can crush the tick or spread infectious germs.
- Never do this with bare hands. If you have to touch the tick, wear disposable gloves.
Step 2. Wrap the tick tightly in masking tape
Cover it with tape on all sides. The tick will die on its own and will not be able to break free. This is the best method to use as it will take no damage. This makes it easier for a doctor to identify the tick if you have any symptoms.
You can use a sealed container instead, or a small plastic zip lock. Make sure there are no holes in it and that the container is completely sealed
Step 3. Kill it with alcohol
If it doesn't have a tape, put it in an alcohol container. It may take some time for the tick to die. Watch it or cover it with a clear lid to make sure it doesn't escape.
Water does not kill ticks. If it doesn't have alcohol, try bleach or vinegar
Step 4. Wash your hands and affected areas
Rub with alcohol or iodine if you have it. Use soapy water if you don't have any. This reduces the chances of spreading infections.
Step 5. Save the tick
Fix the tick that got stuck or died on paper. On the sheet, write the date you found him and the possible place he came from. Keep it away from pets and children.
Step 6. Observe the symptoms
Some ticks carry disease, especially deer ticks. Take the victim and the tick to the doctor if the person has any of these symptoms within three months:
- Fever or chills.
- Headache, muscle pain or joint pain.
- Rashes, especially red blisters.
- Swollen lymph nodes usually in the armpits or groin.
Method 2 of 3: Killing Loose Ticks on Clothing or Pets
Step 1. Choose a treatment for your pet
There are many chemicals and natural herbs for sale to treat pet ticks. Many of these treatments can be dangerous for the pet or for young children who play with them. Talk to a veterinarian first if possible.
- Use a treatment suitable for the species of pet (cats or dogs).
- If there are small children or other animals in the house, prefer an oral medicine.
- Never use a product that contains organophosphate. See if there are ingredients in medicines like amitraz, fenoxycarb, permethrin, propoxur and tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP).
Step 2. Put clothes in the dryer first of all
Dry heat kills almost all ticks, but wet heat may not kill them. After walking in tick-infested places, put your clothes in the dryer. Wash them later and dry them again.
Step 3. Spray clothes with permethrin
This chemical will kill ticks faster than other insecticides and is safe for humans. Spray on your clothes before a walk, on the inside creases of shirt sleeves, and on the hems of your pants.
- Never use permethrin on cats. They can get sick and even die.
- Talk to your doctor first if you are pregnant, breast-feeding or if you are allergic to yerba-de-santiago.
- Permethrin skin cream is generally not used for ticks.
Method 3 of 3: Exterminating the tick population
Step 1. Clean the yard
Ticks need moisture and shade to stay alive. Clear your yard of piles of leaves and shady hiding places. Keep the grass short.
Rodents and deer can carry ticks. Keep them out of the way by covering garbage and leaving no food leftovers outdoors. Use a fence in the case of deer
Step 2. Make a border with the forest
If your yard is close to woods, make a border of about one meter of gravel or dry humus. This will prevent plant growth and make it difficult for ticks to enter the yard.
Step 3. Spread nematodes
Give the ticks a parasite to worry about. These microscopic worms are sold online in different types. Those sold for tick treatment are completely harmless to people and pets. Mix them with water and spread in the yard. Keep the area moist for seven days while the worm settles down.
Look for Steinernema carpocapsae or Heterorhabditis bacteriophora if you have problems with a deer tick (black legged tick). Ask your veterinarian about nematodes and other tick species
Step 4. Use pesticides with caution
Many are dangerous to pets, children or local wildlife. If you decide to use them, call a pesticide specialist for an annual or twice-yearly visit. Before he comes, ask for safety information in writing, and notice boards for your property.
Permethrin, a common pesticide against ticks, can kill both cats and fish
Step 5. Put guinea fowl on your farm
Guinean hens hunt and eat ticks. Deer ticks are usually small enough to escape, but there will be much fewer than before. Know that guinea hens are very noisy.
Step 6. Keep an eye out for tick robots
As of March 2015, the Delaware company is raising money to test the next phase of the tick-killing robot. Ticks are tricked and trapped by taking a pesticide that kills them much safer than spray pesticides. It will take a while for a person or even pesticide companies to buy one of these, but maybe one day you might have your own tick extermination robot.
Tips
If there is no way to go to the doctor, wrap the tick and send it to a company that identifies it. She will be able to tell if the tick was sick, but this does not always mean that it will also get sick. It is also possible to identify the species on its own (website in English), to find out which diseases the tick can transmit
Notices
- Do not use home remedies to kill ticks attached to the skin. They often increase the chances of infections. This includes trying to crush them with your fingernail or burn them with a match.
- Don't try to squish a tick. They have very hard shells and it is very difficult to crush them without proper tweezers. And most importantly, this procedure can spread infectious bacteria.
- Always wash your hands with soap and water after touching a tick. They can carry many infectious diseases in their invisible bodily fluids and excretions. You'll probably be fine unless you have a scratch, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.