I like to believe that I have love ‌and compassion for all ⁤living things. Even spiders and snakes – ⁣which are pretty common‌ fears for people – don’t scare me⁢ enough ​to⁣ make me run away from them.

You⁣ could say I‌ have a high tolerance​ for creepy ‍crawlies… just not ​when it comes to ticks.

Honestly, as⁢ embarrassing as it is, I​ wouldn’t lose ‍any ​sleep if‍ ticks disappeared from the planet tomorrow,​ never​ to⁢ return. They’re not only annoying (and invasive) but can also be quite harmful.

Ticks‌ can carry serious illnesses like Lyme ⁣disease and Rocky Mountain⁤ spotted fever,‍ so it’s clear they ⁢aren’t ⁤the best guests ‌you want around…

Depending⁢ on where you live, the season, and⁤ if you have pets at home, your chances⁣ of running into ⁢ticks can​ be pretty high.

So what should you do if and ⁣when you find⁣ one of these tiny pests? ‍ ‌

Identify‌ and isolate the problem

It’s smart to try and figure​ out what kind of tick ⁢it⁢ is (like a black-legged⁤ tick or dog ⁢tick). If the tick is in a certain spot, keep​ your kids or ⁤pets ‍away until it’s dealt ‍with. ⁢ ‌

Credit ​/⁢ Wikimedia Commons

Protective steps

To prevent a tick from grabbing ‌onto ‌you ​wear gloves along with long-sleeved clothes so your skin isn’t exposed.

Clean‍ thoroughly

Make sure to wash any clothes⁢ or bedding ‍that​ might’ve touched the tick ​really well on high⁤ heat! Vacuum everywhere paying close attention​ to ‍corners ‌& cracks.

Tick removal

Use fine-tipped tweezers​ & grab hold ⁤of the⁢ tick as‍ close as possible‍ to your skin’s surface. Pull straight ‌up slowly ⁤but don’t ⁤twist or jerk so ⁤its head‍ doesn’t break off​ in your skin.

After removing it clean any bite areas using‌ alcohol or soap water! You can use alcohol⁢ for disposing of the tick too or flush it ​down toilet.

Monitor your bite

Keep an eye‍ on any bites ‌& watch out‌ for⁣ symptoms in anyone who got bitten.

I ⁣hope this helps! Share ⁢this ‍article on Facebook so​ more people know.