Ticks are especially dangerous because of the diseases they can transmit. If a tick bites you, you need to kill it so it doesn't harm its body. In this way, you avoid any splashes from spreading bacteria, and you can also identify any disease if you ever get sick. Do your best to check for ticks in your yard and try to keep them away from clothing and pets.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Kill a Tick Attached to the Skin
Step 1. Remove the tick
If it has become attached to a person or pet, you need to take it off first. Grab the tick's head with pointed tweezers and slowly pull up in a straight direction.
- Tweezers with wide tips could crush the tick or squeeze out the infectious germs.
- Never try to take it off with your bare hands. If you have to touch it, put on disposable gloves.
Step 2. Wrap the tick firmly in masking tape
Cover it with clear tape on all sides. The tick will not be able to break free and will die on its own. This is the best method to use, because the parasite remains largely intact, making it easier for your doctor to be able to identify it should you experience symptoms of infection.
Alternatively, you can use a sealed clear container, such as an airtight bag. Check for holes and make sure it is completely closed
Step 3. Kill her with alcohol
If you don't have duct tape, put the mint in a container filled with alcohol. It may take some time for this parasite to die. Keep an eye on it or close the container with a clear lid to make sure it doesn't escape.
Keep in mind that water does not kill it. If you don't have alcohol available, use bleach or vinegar
Step 4. Wash your hands and the bite area
Scrub your skin with alcohol or iodine if you can get it, otherwise use soap and water. This reduces the chance of spreading the infection.
Step 5. Store the mint
Fix the dead or trapped tick to the rigid cardboard of a filing cabinet using adhesive tape, note the date and place where you found it or where you think it may have come from. Keep it away from pets and children.
Step 6. Pay attention to any symptoms
Some ticks can spread diseases, especially those of deer. If the victim has the following symptoms within three months, take her to the doctor, along with the tick:
- Fever or chills.
- Headache, muscle or joint pain.
- A rash, especially if it looks like a large red "target".
- Swollen lymph nodes, usually in the armpit or groin.
Method 2 of 3: Kill Ticks Not Attached to Animals or Clothing
Step 1. Choose a treatment for your pet
There are many chemicals and herbal treatments on the market that are effective for killing ticks. Many of these can be dangerous to young animals or small children playing with the animal. First discuss with a veterinarian which product is best suited to your particular situation.
- Apply a specific treatment for the type of pet (for example if it is a cat or a dog).
- If there are small children or other pets in the home, finding a drug to take by mouth is recommended.
- Never use a product containing organophosphates. Always check for ingredients such as amitraz, fenoxycarb, permethrin, propoxur and tetrachlorvinphos (TCVP).
Step 2. First put the clothes in the dryer
Dry heat kills almost all ticks, which does not happen in humid heat. If you go walking in an area where there may be ticks, immediately put your clothes in the dryer as soon as you get home. Then wash them and then put them back in the appliance to dry.
Step 3. Spray the clothes with permethrin
This chemical kills ticks faster than other insecticides and is safer for humans. Spray it on clothing before a hike, especially on the inside edge of the shirt sleeves and on the hem of the trousers.
- Do not use never permethrin on cats, as they could get sick or even die.
- Talk to your doctor before applying this product if you are pregnant, nursing, or allergic to ragweed.
- Permethrin-based skin cream is generally not used against ticks.
Method 3 of 3: Eliminate Tick Colonies
Step 1. Clear the garden
Ticks need moisture and shade to stay alive. Clear the garden of leaves, plant debris, and shady hiding places. Keep the grass cut and cared for.
Know that rodents and deer can have ticks. Make sure they stay away by covering the waste and food for animals you keep outdoors well. If deer live in your area, fence your yard to keep them away
Step 2. Create a margin around the wood
If your garden is near a wood, have a safety edge at least three feet wide made of dry mulch or gravel. This prevents plant growth and makes it much more difficult for ticks to get into your property.
Step 3. Spread nematodes
Put in a biological fight by placing these parasites in the area where there are ticks, so that these annoying mites have to defend themselves. These microscopic worms are sold online and come in several varieties. Those sold as a tick treatment are completely harmless to humans and pets. Combine them with water and distribute them in your garden. Keep the area moist for 7 days while the worms settle.
Look for Steinernema carpocapsae or Heterorhabditis bacteriophora if you've seen deer ticks (black-legged ticks). Ask a vet to tell you about other roundworms for the different types of ticks
Step 4. Use pesticides with caution
Many of these chemicals are dangerous for pets, children and local wildlife. If you decide to use them, appoint a licensed pest control professional to provide annual or semi-annual treatment. Before he begins, ask him to draw up a written plan with all safety information and to place notices and signs around your property.
Permethrin, a common anti-tick pesticide, can kill cats and fish
Step 5. Place the guinea fowl on your farm
It is an animal that hunts and eats ticks. Deer ticks are often quite small and able to escape, but you will see that with a guinea fowl in the yard the population of such mites should disappear very soon. However, keep in mind that this bird is quite noisy.
Step 6. Stay alert for technological developments
It appears that since March 2015 an American company in Delaware has been raising funds to test the next phase of building a robot capable of killing ticks. Ticks are induced to latch on to and drink pesticides, dying much safer than using an airborne spray. The time is not yet ripe for one of these products to be purchased, but perhaps one day everyone will be able to have their own anti-tick "Terminator" in the garden.
Advice
If you can't get to the doctor, keep the tick in a bag and send it to a company that can identify it. This way you will be able to know if the parasite was sick, even if that doesn't necessarily mean that you are infected. Eventually you can do an internet search to identify the different species for yourself and see which diseases they could transmit
Warnings
- Do not use home remedies to kill ticks attached to the skin, as this can increase the chances of infection. These include trying to smother them with nail polish or burn them with a match.
- Don't try to crush ticks. They are very hard bodied mites, and it is difficult to crush them without the right tweezers. What's more, crushing them risks spreading infectious bacteria.
- Always wash your hands with soap and water after touching a tick, as it can transmit the bacteria that live inside its body thanks to invisible liquid excretions. You should most likely not have any problems unless your skin is scratched, but it's always better to be safe than sorry.
Related wikiHows
- How to Remove a Tick
- How to Treat a Mosquito Bite
- How to Kill a Mosquito
- How to soothe the symptoms of a mosquito bite
- How to Identify the Deer Mint
