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(Source: Hunterdon County, NJ DOH)
Because it takes approximately 24-48
hours for a tick to transmit the bacteria, it is important to remove ticks
from your skin as soon as you discover them.
- Use a pair of pointed (fine-tipped)
tweezers and grasp the mouthparts of the tick
as close to the skin as possible.
- Pull the tick straight out with a firm
and steady force.
- Wash the area of the bite thoroughly
with soap and water.
- Place the tick in a jar of alcohol or a
zipper locked sandwich bag.
Your physician may recommend that you have the tick identified or tested
for disease.
- Contact your physician to see what
further measures they recommend.
- Watch the bite for signs of a rash, and
your body for any signs of illness.
DO NOT attempt to remove the tick by
touching it with a burnt match or swabbing it with alcohol or petroleum
jelly. This will only aggravate the tick and cause it to release more
bacteria into the blood stream.
Proper Tick Removal
(Source: Hunterdon County, NJ DOH)
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