Remove Ticks With Care

Do you know what you should do if you are bitten by a tick? It sounds like there is an obvious answer that everyone should know, but surprisingly, there are many people that are unsure of the action they need to take if they discover they have been bitten by a tick. Here’s an article listing the 10 things you should do if you venture into a tick habitat or if one of these disease spreading little critters decides to feast on your blood.

10 Things to Do Right Now If You’ve Been Bitten By a Tick

Follow these steps if you’re bitten by a tick—and learn how to protect yourself from getting bitten in the first place. Don’t step foot in the house if you’ve been in an area with ticks. Take off your shoes and socks and shake them outside. Remove as many articles of clothing as you can before going inside, then tumble dry for at least 10 minutes to kill any ticks that may have been hanging on.

Do you know how to safely remove a tick if you find one on yourself, your child or your pet?

Ticks will have a firm grip on your skin. They will latch on and stay on! Ever wondered how? Well here is a video that explains just what happens when a tick adheres itself to you.

WATCH: How A Tick Digs Its Hooks Into You

How they latch on — and stay on — is a feat of engineering that scientists have been piecing together. Once you know how a tick’s mouth works, you understand why it’s impossible to simply flick a tick. The key to their success is a menacing mouth covered in hooks that they use to get under the surface of our skin and attach themselves for several days while they fatten up on our blood.

Now it is evident why removing a tick needs to be done with care and as soon as possible to prevent the spread of infectious diseases such as Lyme disease. Be vigilant, these critters are tiny and can often be missed, so make it part of your routine to check for ticks each and every time you become vulnerable in a habitat that they may reside… Even your own back yard!