Agriculture & Landscape Program
Tick-Borne Disease Diagnostics

How To Remove A Tick

If you find a tick imbedded in your skin, please remove it properly as soon as possible.

Do NOT squeeze, twist, jerk, crush or burn the tick.  It may contaminate the bite wound or cause the tick mouthparts to break off and remain in the skin.  This may cause a secondary infection.

Do NOT use cigarettes, alcohol, gasoline, petroleum jelly, nail polish or other substances to try to kill the tick or remove the tick or cause it to drop off on its own.  NONE of these methods will remove the tick because the tick excretes a type of cement to keep itself imbedded in your skin.  These agents can agitate the tick and can cause it to force more potentially infectious saliva into the wound.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggests that you grab the tick with fine-tipped tweezers as close to the skin as possible.  

Then, slowly and gently, but firmly, pull STRAIGHT up until all parts of the tick are removed.  Do NOT twist or rock the tick while removing it.

After removing the tick, wash your hands and the bite site with soap and water.  Swab the bite site with alcohol.

If part of the tick remains in the skin after an attempted removal, if the area becomes infected (increased redness, warmth, swelling, pain or oozing pus), or if a red-ringed bull’s-eye rash develops, please seek medical attention.

If you would like to have the tick tested for Borrelia burgdorferi, the bacterium that is believed to cause Lyme disease, please Click here.