How to Remove a Tick
How to Remove a Tick: Quick Steps
The sooner you remove an attached tick, the lower the chance it spreads disease. All you need is a pair of fine-tipped tweezers.- 1. Grasp close to the skin: Use fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin’s surface as you can.
- 2. Pull straight up: Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk, which can break off the mouthparts.
- 3. Clean the area: Wash the bite and your hands with soap and water or rubbing alcohol.
- 4. Dispose of the tick: Put it in alcohol, seal it in a bag or wrap it tightly in tape, or flush it. Never crush it with your fingers.
What Not to Do
Skip the folk remedies. They don’t work, and they can make the tick release more saliva into the bite.- Don’t smother the tick with petroleum jelly, nail polish, or soap
- Don’t burn it with a match
- Don’t twist, squeeze, or crush the tick’s body
- Don’t wait for it to fall off on its own
If the Mouthparts Stay in the Skin
If part of the tick breaks off, try to remove it with clean tweezers. If you can’t easily get it out, leave it alone and let the skin heal. It will usually work its way out, and the risk of disease comes mainly from the tick’s body, not a small piece left behind.
Should You Save the Tick?
It can help. Put it in a sealed bag or container, label it with the date, and keep it in the freezer. If you get sick later, your doctor may want to know what kind of tick it was. See our tick guide to identify it.
Symptoms to Watch For
For the next several weeks, watch for fever, chills, headache, fatigue, muscle or joint aches, or a rash, including a bull’s-eye rash, which can signal Lyme disease. See a doctor if any appear, and tell them about the tick bite and when it happened. See our deer tick guide for more on Lyme disease.
Removing Ticks From Pets
Use the same method: fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal tool, close to the skin, straight up with steady pressure. Check pets daily, especially around the ears, eyes, neck, collar, armpits, and between the toes. Ask your veterinarian about tick prevention.
Preventing Future Tick Bites
- Use EPA-registered repellent and permethrin-treated clothing
- Do a full-body tick check after time outdoors
- Keep grass short and clear leaf litter and brush from your yard
- Consider professional yard treatment; see our tick control services
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best way to remove a tick?
Grasp it with fine-tipped tweezers as close to the skin as possible and pull straight up with steady, even pressure. Then clean the area.
Should I use petroleum jelly or a match to remove a tick?
No. These methods don’t work and can make the tick release more saliva into the bite. Use tweezers.
What if the tick’s head stays in my skin?
Try to remove it with clean tweezers. If you can’t, leave it and let the skin heal; it usually works its way out.
Should I keep the tick after removing it?
It can help. Seal it in a labeled bag and freeze it in case you get sick and your doctor wants to know the type.
When should I see a doctor after removing a tick?
If you develop fever, chills, headache, fatigue, aches, or a rash in the following weeks.
