The tick, also called common wood tick, belongs to the genus of mites and is a parasite for humans. It occurs throughout Germany, parts of Austria and Switzerland, but can also be found in most other parts of the world. Ticks prefer shady and humid places like bushes, high grass and the ground to lurk for a host.
The hosts include small and large mammals, including humans. When passing by, ticks cling to fur or clothing and look for a suitable place to suck blood. Usually they look for a warm, thin-skinned and well supplied with blood for the tick bite (armpits, groin, hollow of the knee, hairline, pubic area).
It anchors itself with its mouth parts in the skin and secretes various substances into the wound. The tick absorbs blood for several days until it has reached a multiple of its body weight. Then it lets itself fall off and is ready to lay its eggs. Due to the anaesthetic and anticoagulant effect of the secretion given off by the tick during a tick bite, a sting is usually not noticed until later. Since ticks can also transmit serious diseases, they should be removed as soon as possible.
Distance
In order to remove the animal after a tick bite, one has different tools to choose from: Tweezers: either normal tweezers or pointed and bent tick tweezers Tick card: plastic card with slits at the corners, partly in different sizes Tick loop/pliers: by pressing the button at the upper end, the loop opens or the tong arms at the lower end and the tick can be caught. No matter which device you choose, the tick should be caught directly above the skin on the head or the card should be pushed directly between the tick and the skin and not be caught on the body. Then the animal is released straight out with slow turning movements or careful pulling.
With the card it is carefully levered out. It is important that no part of the head is left in the tick bite wound and that the tick is removed as soon as possible to minimize the risk of disease transmission or inflammation. The area where the tick bite occurred should be disinfected after removal.
If you do not trust yourself to remove the tick yourself or if the tick is not completely removed, you should consult a family doctor. Never use oil, superglue or other substances for treatment. The animal may die, but it will empty its stomach contents into the wound and the risk of transmission of bacteria and viruses increases significantly.
Do not jerk the tick out of its skin, otherwise parts of the mouthpiece may break off and remain in the wound. The puncture site should be observed for a few days so that changes can be noticed in time. With the help of a photo on the first day you have a good possibility to compare.
- Tweezers: either normal tweezers or pointed and bent tick tweezers
- Tick card: plastic card with slits at the corners, some in different sizes
- Tick loop/pliers: by pressing the button at the upper end, the loop or the pliers arms at the lower end open and the tick can be caught.
