Ticked Off

R

Raymond1000

Joined
Oct 8, 2006
Messages
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When typewriters roamed the land I took a first aid course. They taught me not to use a tweezers to pull a bee sting. The proper way was to hold a knife to the skin and scrape across the bitten spot. That flicked the stinger out without squeezing the venom into the victim.

In my experience it is good to explain what you are doing beforehand. For some reason people get nervous when you put the edge of a knife to their body. It does seem to work though.

Say you don’t have one of those fancy tick removers with you. Can you remove a tick in the same way you remove a bee sting?
 
Remove the tick any way you like, just make sure the whole head comes off.. otherwise you risk infection. I have removed them by carefully pinching right at the skin level. Have heard a hot match head or applying alcohol also will make it drop off.
 
If you cover the tick in vaseline or other such substances it will smother and come out naturally for air
 
I pull the tick straight out while holding it as close to the skin as possible.
It's easy and I have heard that if you smother it with Vaseline or anything there is a chance it will vomit and risk infection.
 
I'm gonna try the "Tick Key" and see if it's what they say it is.:thumbup:
 
An acute V cut in a credit card makes a nice remover. Slide the notch between the body of the tick and skin of the victim. Apply slow steady pressure. The tick will tend to let go to avoid being ripped in half, removing its mouth parts from the puncture wound.

Commercial versions of the same tool are made of metal and plastic. http://www.tickedoff.com/ https://www.google.com/search?q=tic...wHi6YHQDw&sqi=2&ved=0CGEQsAQ&biw=1680&bih=949

Tweezers can also be used carefully. http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html
 
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NateReed said:
Well I guess I was taught wrong
Click to expand...

NBD. I was originally taught to never put cold water or ice on a burn because it would "retard healing." And you didn't drink water when working out because it would "cause nausea" - just rinse out the mouth and spit the water out. Amazing we lived.
 
Tweezers or a notched credit card work the best (grasp as close to the skin as possible with and apply consistant even pressure in as quick as you can do so effectively) ..as mentioned anything that chances leaving the head or proboscis imbedded int he skin carries with it the risk of infection. anything that cause a tick undo prolonged stress (ie) match heads, Vaseline. twisting etc will cause the tick to vomit inside the wound cavity, which greatly increases the chances of contracting a tick borne illness. If your primary concern is lyme disease at tick mush be attached to the skin for at least 24 hours to pass it on.. as it must engorge itself and than vomit to transmit the disease.. so causing it to vomit prematurely is a not advisable.. by far the best means of removal is not to get them in the first place.. for me that invloves treating clothing with permethren, and treating skin with a deet based repellant, also tucking pants into socks and similar.. followed by regular checks of skin and clothes. It's a ll a bit of a hassle but tick borne illnesses can be very serious.
Regards.
 
Just leave them on, let them grow and in a short time you will have a fat little sucker that is ripe for the picking
as a tasty blood treat :eek: :D:D:D. Just kidding all.

Bryan
 
NateReed said:
Well I guess I was taught wrong
Click to expand...

I was taught that getting the tick hot would cause it to back out. This was while my dad demonstrated with the lit edge of his cigarette. It worked. Carefully using a lit match also worked. I think, today, the recommendations are to use the safest, most effective methods. So, using vaseline might work (I've never tried it) but it might not be the safest, most effective way to do it.
 
Bo T said:
I was taught that getting the tick hot would cause it to back out. This was while my dad demonstrated with the lit edge of his cigarette. It worked. Carefully using a lit match also worked. I think, today, the recommendations are to use the safest, most effective methods. So, using vaseline might work (I've never tried it) but it might not be the safest, most effective way to do it.
Click to expand...

Every authority, public and private, disagrees. But it's your health and life.
 
yes a heated match should make it remove it's head then you kill it. I have never heard of digging it out with a blade before. if the head is still inside of you it will still feed off of you.
 
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