How to remove a tick from human skin
Apply a dab of alcohol to the tick, which may withdraw its feeding tube if it has just started feeding on your skin. If the tick refuses to withdraw, grasp it with tweezers as near the head as possible and pull it out slowly, hopefully with the mouth parts intact. Try not to squeeze the tick’s main body because that can force disease organisms into the wound. If the mouth parts remain embedded in your skin, you should treat the bite with an antiseptic to prevent secondary infection.
Preserve the tick in a bottle with alcohol or in a Ziploc bag or vial with a dampened cotton ball or cloth so it can be readily identified if necessary. If you are in a high-risk area, you should get the tick identified promptly to determine whether it is a disease-carrying species. If you experience any symptoms, for instance, a rash, within the next four weeks after the bite, you should seek medical attention.
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July 14th, 2009
My dog was infested with ticks last week, presumably from the goat herd he encountered on one of our walks. The infestation was so bad that I immediately took him to the vet, where he was treated. My research on ticks found articles also related to ticks biting and clinging to human flesh. This rarely happens, but it prompted me to write this article.