01
DO NOT cover an attached tick with clear or colored nail polish.
02
The theory is that the polish suffocates the tick. In reality, ticks breathe very slowly through spiracles and can survive sealed for hours, plenty of time to transmit pathogens.
03
A dying, stressed tick is more likely to regurgitate gut contents into the wound, the exact mechanism of Lyme and other tick-borne disease transmission.
04
Instead, remove the tick mechanically with fine-tipped tweezers, grasping as close to the skin as possible.
05
Pull straight up with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk.