[Joanna Savage]

Ticks are flourishing here in Toscana at present. Does anyone have a good method for removing them once they are embedded into the skin? I read that the best way is to remove them with tweezers but that is not always possible. I am wondering if there is a substance which can be painted on them.

[David Dickinson]

Hi,

Sorry to hear of your problem. Ticks are horrible things and are often seen on stray dogs at this time of year around here.

DON'T remove them with tweezers. The head may well separate and remain embedded in the skin and cause infection as it rots. Soak a tissue in methylated spirit or cleaning alcohol and hold the tick in the tissue for a minute or so. In a bid to escape from the alcohol it will release the gripping mouthparts and can then be removed and disposed of easily.

Hope this helps :-)

[Joanna Savage]

David, thanks for that advice. When I was in Sri Lanka I was taught to remove leeches by applying salt to them. That worked for leeches but it didn't shift this tick.
I have heard that they are more frequent where deer are to be found. Here the deer come right up to the garden fence and are heard 'coughing' at night, so I suppose the tick outbreak is inevitable.

[JTh]

They used to say it was important to get the whole tick out, but that is no longer the case, the main thing is to remove the body part as soon as possible, preferably within 24 hours, to reduce the risk of being infected. You can use tweezers or your nails, try to grab it as close to the skin as possible and pull it out staright. Don’t use oils, Vaseline, butter or similar stuff, this will just make it more difficult to remove the tick, but clean the skin with soap water or a disinfectant afterwards.

You are right, having deer nearby increases the risk of being bitten by ticks.

[David Dickinson]

Know what you mean about the leeches. I lived in Malaysia for a time and salt was the way I was told to get them off. Luckily, every time I was out in the forest bird watching I was wearing my leech socks and so I was never bitten.

I suppose the tough skin of the tick is impenetrable by salt whereas the wet skin of the leech would soak it up.

I have seen the alcohol method used on dogs several times and always with success. But reading Jth's reply (after all her signature reads "Veterinary surgeon by training with a phD in parasitology, worked as virologist since 1992." made me realise it is not as safe as I thought. On the internet there are entries which are contradictory. Main objection to using alcohol seems to be that it may cause the tick to regurgitate back into your bloodstream and thus more likely to infect you with the harmful bacteria ticks carry.

This forum really is a mine of useful information and not just about plants. Thanks Jth

[Joanna Savage]

JTh, that is reassuring advice, thanks. That saves me several hours waiting at Pronto Soccorso (A&E) to have a tick's head removed.
The trick seems to be to stay calm when the tick is first discovered. When I was finding  them on my dog the first reaction was always one of alarm, less so for myself, but they are still unpleasant brutes.

[Alice]

Yes, advice much appreciated, Jorun.
Our cat picks them up in the spring and less so in summer. There were many here this year from very early spring.
Once the wild grasses are strimmed the problem is much reduced.