Unwelcome Harbinger of Spring

flowerbug

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Tea Tree oil will have them popping out in no time too - and it's a bit antibacterial on the bite. :)

ooh! good to know. i always keep some on hand. thanks! :)

i think this stuff is close to the modern person's version of what people used to use kerosine for (everything according to one elderly neighbor :) i miss her so much)...
 

thistlebloom

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I'm aware of better ways to do it now and no horses were harmed by my moms old method. Nippers hair was just a little shorter on one side of his neck for awhile.

For what it's worth, most medical sites, pet and human are in agreement with this:

4 Common Tick Removal Myths
Petroleum jelly, burning them off, freezing them off, nail polish. These are just a few of the common folk remedies that pop up when you google tick removal. And all of them won't work — and have the potential to further hurt your pet.

“These techniques are not viable options,” says Dr. Alleman. “The problem is that I’ve never seen a tick back out. Their head remains embedded in the animal’s skin.” And this is precisely the problem with petroleum jelly and nail polish: Pet owners think that they can drown or kill the tick, but the head stays in place.



Then there's the burning method. Fact: Lighting a match anywhere near your pet is the very definition of playing with fire. “This should be common sense,” says Sabrina Wehrhan, lead veterinary technician at St. James Animal Hospital in St. James, New York. “The dog has hair. The hair is going to go up in flames.”

She also recommends not toying with the idea of freezing ticks, which some owners try to do by using an aerosol-based liquid freezing gel. “For one, you’re not a veterinary professional, so you won't know how long to hold it on,” says Wehrhan. “I’ve seen people just spray and spray.”

 
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flowerbug

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I just grab tick with my fingers and quickly pull off, rarely does the head not come with tick. Its not like head attached by fine silk thread.

i've not had to remove any deeply embedded ones. the very first deer tick i saw here was just starting to bite me when i felt it on my arm and pulled it off, it came off with a bit of skin but no blood. i was glad i got it before it could burrow in. since then all the ticks i've seen have been crawling. i feel them crawling or see them before they get to the point where they are biting. *whew*
 

Nyboy

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This morning I took a shower got dressed for work went into backyard to feed rabbit, ducks and goldfish. Stopped at a redlight I looked at my watch, next to my watch attached was a tiny tick. I pulled it off and threw out window. A few minutes later I felt something crawling on other arm, another tiny tick. :barnie:barnie:barnie:barnie:barnie
 

canesisters

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flowerbug

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i'm usually very well covered up when out in the gardens and whenever i see deer tracks out back i know they've been around so i'm extra careful. i'm glad i've been able to notice them crawling around before they've been able to bite.
 

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