3 Ways to Kill a Tick

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3 Ways to Kill a Tick
3 Ways to Kill a Tick

Video: 3 Ways to Kill a Tick

Video: 3 Ways to Kill a Tick
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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

Kill a Tick Step 1
Kill a Tick Step 1

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.
Kill a Tick Step 2
Kill a Tick Step 2

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

Kill a Tick Step 3
Kill a Tick Step 3

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

Kill a Tick Step 4
Kill a Tick Step 4

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.

Kill a Tick Step 5
Kill a Tick Step 5

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.

Kill a Tick Step 6
Kill a Tick Step 6

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

Kill a Tick Step 7
Kill a Tick Step 7

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).
Kill a Tick Step 8
Kill a Tick Step 8

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.

Kill a Tick Step 9
Kill a Tick Step 9

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

Kill a Tick Step 10
Kill a Tick Step 10

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

Kill a Tick Step 11
Kill a Tick Step 11

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.

Kill a Tick Step 12
Kill a Tick Step 12

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

Kill a Tick Step 13
Kill a Tick Step 13

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

Kill a Tick Step 14
Kill a Tick Step 14

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.

Kill a Tick Step 15
Kill a Tick Step 15

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.

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