How to Remove Ticks With Cotton Balls and Soap

A tick is a small insect that uses pincers attached to its mouth to latch onto its victims, often for hours at a time. Ticks can transmit serious disease to their human hosts, such as Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever, so you should remove a tick immediately upon discovery. Avoid tick bites by steering clear of thick brush, high grass and piles of leaves. An insect repellent also can help. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention even recommends bathing within two hours after coming indoors, to wash and locate any ticks. Almost anyone can remove a tick with little effort.

Things You'll Need

• Tweezers or tick removal device
• Cotton balls
• Soap
• Plastic bag or jar

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Instructions

• 1

  Use tweezers or a tick removal device to grab the tick near its head or mouth -- as close as possible to the person's skin. Pull upward gently and steadily to separate it from the skin. Never use a twisting or jerking motion to remove a tick, which can crush it and leave the head lodged.

• 2

  If you inadvertently crushed the tick, remove any remaining parts using the tweezers.

• 3

  Wash your hands with soap and water following removal.

• 4

  Wash the area surrounding the tick bite using cotton balls, soap and water.

• 5

  Place as much of the tick as possible into a plastic bag or jar to preserve it. A doctor may wish to examine it if illness results from the bite.