How to Remove Ticks With Tea Tree Oil

Ticks are very small insects that are related to spiders and are found throughout the United States. They prefer humid climates and tend to live in grass and bushes, frequently near the edge of trails and sidewalks. Ticks feed by sucking blood from animals and humans and have been known to transmit Lyme disease, which can affect the brain, heart, muscles, nervous system and joints and currently has no known cure. If you have been bitten by a tick, contact your physician. There are several techniques to removing a tick from the skin, including the use of tea tree oil.

Things You'll Need

• Tweezers
• Tea tree oil
• Soap
• Water
• Towel
• Bandage(s)

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Instructions

• 1

  Apply several drops of full-strength tea tree oil, available at many drugstores or natural health and food stores, to the tick and surrounding skin.

• 2

  Leave the tea tree oil on the tick for 20 minutes. This may be enough to cause the tick to fall off of the skin.

• 3

  Use a pair of tweezers to grasp the tick at the head and pull directly out of the skin. Check carefully to make sure there is no part of the tick left in the skin once removed.

• 4

  Clean the area with soap and water, then dry. Apply a few drops of tea tree oil and cover with a clean bandage.

• 5

  Apply tea tree oil to the area three times a day for one week. This will help clean and disinfect the area, although it cannot prevent the transmission of Lyme disease. Consult a doctor if you have been bitten by a tick to discuss the possibility of Lyme disease.