When you head into wooded or grassy areas, there’s a good chance you will encounter ticks. These pests latch onto hosts when they walk by them. Keeping these pests off you and your pets is important, so you’ll want to check for them after spending time outside. We’ve gathered information to help you check for and remove ticks on you and your furry family members.
How to Check for Ticks
Knowing what to look for and how to check for ticks will help ensure you don’t miss these pests. Check out a few tips to help you check for ticks.
- Know What You’re Looking For: Ticks vary in appearance depending on the species, but they share a few characteristics. These pests are oval and typically have a reddish-brown body. When checking for ticks, look for tiny dark spots or feel for small bumps.
- Don’t Wait to Check: Checking for ticks as soon as possible will help to prevent them from biting you. You can do a quick check on exposed skin and clothing before heading indoors. Once inside, you’ll want to do a more thorough examination.
- Check Your Clothes: The first thing you’ll want to do is examine your clothes for ticks. If you notice any, you can remove them before they have a chance to reach your skin. You can also wash and dry clothes using hot water and high heat settings to kill ticks.
- Take a Shower: Getting a shower or bath when you head inside can help to remove ticks. It will also make it easier to see and check for these pests.
- Use a Mirror: Using a mirror will make it easier to spot these pests. A full-length mirror or a hand-held mirror can help you examine hard-to-see areas like your back.
- Be Thorough: Ticks can easily move around, so you’ll want to examine your whole body. These pests are most often spotted in armpits, behind knees, and near the groin area. They can also be found between toes, near waistlines, in belly buttons, near elbow joints, in and around ears, along hairlines, and on scalps.
- Check Your Items: Ticks can crawl onto your belongings too. You’ll want to examine backpacks, bags, blankets, and other items that you take outside with you.
How to Check for Ticks on Pets
If your pet joins you on your outdoor adventure, you’ll want to make sure they don’t bring any ticks home too. Here are a few tips to help you check your pets for ticks.
- Be Thorough: When you check your pet for ticks, you’ll want to make sure you examine their whole body. Ticks like humid and dark areas and are typically drawn to an animal’s ears, paws, base of their tail, groin area, and in between their front legs. Look for dark spots and feel for small bumps.
- Use a Brush or Flea Comb: Using a brush or a flea comb can make it easier to check your pet’s fur. This can be especially helpful if your pet has long hair. If you meet resistance when combing through their fur, check the area carefully for signs of a tick.
- Check Their Skin: While you’re checking your pet, you’ll also want to look at their skin. Check for redness or signs of irritation. This can be an indication that a tick is present.
- Monitor Your Pet’s Behavior: Your pet’s behavior can also help you catch a tick problem. If your pet is scratching or licking excessively in the same spot, there could be a tick there. If you notice them shaking their head more than usual, they could be dealing with a tick in their ear.
- Give Your Pet a Bath: Giving your pet a bath can help to dislodge any ticks from their fur. It will also be easier to spot ticks if their fur is clean.
How to Remove Ticks
If you notice a tick on you or your pet, it’s important to remove it as quickly and carefully as possible. Check out how to safely remove these pests.
- Use Tweezers: When removing ticks, you’ll want to use a pair of tweezers or a tool specifically designed for tick removal. You don’t want to use your fingers.
- Slowly Pull the Tick Out: Grip the tick as close to the skin as possible. Slowly and firmly pull upward without twisting or jerking. Be careful that you don’t squeeze the tick.
- Dispose of the Tick: After removing all parts of the tick, you can place it in rubbing alcohol to kill it. Don’t try to crush the tick with your fingers. You may want to take a picture of the tick in case you need to seek medical assistance.
- Clean the Bite Area: Using soap and water or rubbing alcohol, clean the bite area. You’ll also want to clean the tweezers or tool that you used to remove the tick.
- Monitor the Bite Area: After removing a tick, monitor the area to make sure irritation or a red-ringed rash doesn’t appear. If you develop a rash, fever, muscle pain, fatigue, swelling, or pain in the joints, you’ll want to contact your doctor.
Ticks like to crash your outdoor adventures, which is why it’s important to know how to deal with these pests. After heading indoors, carefully examine and remove any ticks that may have hitched a ride on you or your pet. If you’re dealing with ticks or other pests, our Maggie’s Farm Simply Effective™ Pest Control products can help!