Burning ticks off with a match or lit cigarette

01

DO NOT touch a flame, match, or lit cigarette to an attached tick.

02

A stressed or injured tick regurgitates gut contents into the bite wound, which is exactly how Borrelia and other pathogens enter your bloodstream. You also risk burning your own skin.

03

The tick will not detach in time to matter; it can take many seconds of pain before it lets go, if it ever does.

04

Instead, use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal card. Grasp as close to the skin as possible, pull straight up with steady even pressure, and wash the area with soap and water.

05

If the mouthparts break off, leave them; the body has been removed and that is what reduces transmission risk.