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Tick Remedies

Ticks often live in tall grass, ground leaves, shrubs, weeds and tree branch leaves. Ticks commonly attach to humans and dogs, burying their head deep into the skin to feed on blood. Smaller ticks are harder to spot and can go undetected on the body. There are simple remedies you can use to repel ticks from clothing and skin.

  1. Tweezers

    • Carry a pair of tweezers along on a hiking trip, if you are in an area where ticks exist. Ticks are usually deposited onto clothing while hiking through heavy brush and crawl underneath clothing to burrow into skin. Removing a tiny tick without tweezers is tricky and can result in discomfort. Use tweezers to tightly grip the tick's body for quick removal and less pain. Wash the skin with soap and water immediately after removal.

    Tick Repellent

    • Spray specialized tick repellent on clothing before venturing into the outdoors. Repellent for ticks contains a higher level of DEET, which is an oily chemical that effectively repels ticks from clothing. In the event of a tick attached to the skin, douse the end of a cotton swab in tick repellent and rub it over the body of the embedded tick. Exposing the embedded tick to the repellent forces the tick to detach from the skin.

    Tape

    • Spotting moving ticks on clothing during a tick check is not always bullet-proof. Ticks are small in size and nestle in between clothing seams and stitching. Tear off a long piece of cellophane tape, or masking tape, and attach it to clothing to remove sneaky ticks from the inside and outside of clothing. Apply the tape in even sections to avoid missing an undetected tick. Fold the tape to enclose the trapped ticks on the inside and toss it into the garbage.

    Garlic

    • Garlic odors seep through skin with sweat and the smell repels ticks from the body. Use garlic as a natural alternative to chemical repellents. Consume garlic cloves or pills before walking into the woods. If you can't stand the taste of garlic, rub garlic on your skin instead. Adding a few garlic cloves to your dog's food also protects your dog from ticks on walks and in the backyard.

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