• Improper removal of ticks greatly increases the risk of getting tick-borne infections
  • Do not burn or use any substance on a tick
  • Do not grasp, squeeze or twist body of a tick
  • Grasp the tick close to the skin with fine tipped tweezers
  • Pull straight up and make sure to remove the mouth of the tick
  • Use an antiseptic on the bite

It is important to take a picture of the attached tick, and if a rash develops.  Place the live tick in a vial or jar with a piece of slightly moistened paper towel.  Submit ticks to the local public health unit for identification.  If the tick is a black-legged tick, it will be tested for B. burgdorferi, the bacteria that cause Lyme disease.