Tickpedia
Removal · field guidance

Pointed slant-tip tweezers vs flat-tip tweezers

Pointed slant-tip tweezers give better purchase on a tick's capitulum than flat-tip cosmetic tweezers, which tend to crush the body.

Steps

schema.org/HowTo
  1. 01
    Choose pointed, needle-tip slant tweezers — the tips should meet in a fine point.
  2. 02
    Avoid flat-tip (paddle) cosmetic tweezers; they grasp the abdomen, not the mouthparts, and squeeze pathogens into the wound.
  3. 03
    Approach the tick parallel to the skin so the tip slides under the body to the head.
  4. 04
    Close on the head, not the swollen body, and lift straight up with steady pressure.
  5. 05
    Inspect the tick under good light to confirm the mouthparts came out.

Wild facts

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