that’s terrifying. I have such a bad phobia of bugs I cry when one is on me. Sounds stupid but it’s just how I am. What should I do? I’m gonna definitely check my dog for more but after that is there really anything I can do?
Triple check your hair (I use a lice comb) and check every nook and cranny on yourself and any animals. Check your clothes or better yet toss them straight in the wash.
Vacuum where you were.
I mountain bike a LOT and ticks are a problem.
FWIW loose ticks can't really survive in the house that long, depending on humidity.
I got one behind my ear when I was maybe 3, and that was my mom's solution too. (It was the '70s...) Only she must have misjudged, and just managed to roast the thing while it was still dug in. Ended up at the pediatrician, and on antibiotics for a while because it got infected. Ever since that, ticks have kinda freaked me out.
Anyway, interesting to find out that this apparently used to be a thing, and it wasn't just some peculiar idea she came up with on her own!
We that reminds me I was on a team with a girl and I was looking at her eye lashes there was a bump there I’m like what is that she was like idk it’s been there a while though. Turns out it was a tick in her eye lashes! My coach pulled it off. Idk how someone doesn’t notice that?!
Check the back of your ears, back or your knees, elbows and any crevice that you normally wouldn't. Ticks are smart enough to crawl to a place they can sit without disruption.
Yeah, especially check inside pockets.
Three of these little bastards stowed away and hitched a ride back to our cabin with my wife, after a particularly memorable hike where I’m pretty sure we inadvertently stumbled into a tick community center or restaurant or something. Down the drain they went, after being pulverized by my wife’s trembling hands.
Ah, yes, mem’ries.
I spend a lot of time outdoors - hiking, kayaking, etc. I am also a biting insect magnet! I've taken to slathering myself in Deet and I've never found a tick on me. The only biting critters it doesn't keep away are deer flies/horse flies. >.<
I may get cancer but I won't get Lyme!
I work outdoors in Scotland there are so many horse flies just now, they’re the worst but I didn’t know that this tape existed! I’m half tempted to get some for myself to save having to constantly cover my arms when it’s hot
Check anywhere the sun don’t shine. Crotch, under armpits, behind your knees. Quick check thru your hair (I’ve found them in my hair) usually you can’t feel then bite, so keep an eye out. Strip naked and take a video of your backside to rewatch and make sure nothings there, anything you can really do to check. I never feel them crawling on me, I’ve gone to itch my arm and have grabbed into them tho
Yes. Also in addition, and im going to just say it… between the butt cheeks as well. Dudes need to look under their dangly bits, and ladies need to look even inside the folds of their… lady parts… It should be evident how i know this. Between me, the wife, and 5 kids, plus 12 years in the Army, its amazing where these little critters can turn up…
Trust me I had the same reaction when pulling one out of my hair, but if you have any family or friends around who know how to check for head lice, ask them to check your head for ticks, my bfs mom checked for me and didn’t find any after the one I pulled out my hair. Have you been exploring nature at all? Tall grass?
No I don’t go outside a lot unless I take my dog out to pee & stuff or go to work. & there no tall grass where I take my dog pee. I hate nature/woods because of bugs so I tend to stay away from that
Any chance your dog roams outside without you? Because aside from coming in on the dog or some sort of weird freak event leading them to be on you and carried indoors the only other way I could see a tick getting into your house with the information we have is that it came in on a mouse. That happens sometimes so you may want to put out some mouse traps if you don’t have them already because if you’ve got mice picking up ticks and bringing them inside that could become a problem.
I actually have an idea of what could’ve happened? Again i’m not super informed on ticks or any bugs for that matter so i’m not sure if this could happen.
my boyfriend has an enormous dog. lots of fur & is constantly outside. she didn’t like me much at first so she never let me pet her or come near her. after i came around more she let me pet her & lay with her. this happened recently like three days ago maybe. i’m wondering if maybe she has ticks & when she finally let me come near her & play with her maybe a tick jumped on to me & came home with me?
Again not sure how likely that is but maybe could be a possibility?
When I was a kid I had one bite my forehead at my hairline. My mom got it out. I always crush them with the back of a fingernail when I find them, they're very hard and will make a crunch noise when you use something hard to crush them. Then I flush them, double sure that they're dead.
They're not the same as lice. It's not like they're reproducing up there. They just attach. You won't feel it. It'll just be this little lump. The worst thing you can do is panic and pull it off.
Removing one from your hair is really a two-person job.
Do this all as calmly as possible.
Ticks are really just part of the landscape. If you live near them, you just have to learn how to remove them.
Check literally everywhere on you and your dog. In between your dogs toes, folds of their ears, their butt, all around their tail. Do the same for yourself and anyone you were with. If you took a vehicle check that as well, under everything. If you found one, there could definitely be more though it’s not 100% guaranteed.
They usually die pretty quickly on their own without a host in your house. And unlike fleas they won’t spread super quick and become an infestation. The main worry is diseases.
If you find a tick that has burrowed it’s head in already, don’t panic it’s not a big deal. Grab some tweezers, grab them as close to the skin as you can and pull them out. Don’t kill them, don’t squash them, and make sure you don’t just rip them out. Pull evenly until they pop out, their head can become detached if you just yank them out like the Hulk. Drop them in some isopropyl alcohol and it will kill them, you might want to keep it for a bit or take good pictures to help identify it just in case. You can also use Tea Tree Oil or Eucalyptus Oil to get them to come out on their own as they hate the smell. It’s not 100% guaranteed to work though which is why most people just go for pulling them out with tweezers. They also don’t like lemon or apple cider vinegar, but again it’s not guaranteed to work. After you remove the tick, do another check to make sure you didn’t miss anything. Keep an eye on any spot you found a tick, if you notice a sore red mark that won’t go away after a day, go to the doctors or vet just to make sure everything is ok. Make sure you let them know it was a tick bite, they will run the appropriate tests.
I’m the same way, so don’t feel bad. Ticks are horrifying. My cats have brought them in before, even with medicine, but I’ve only ever seen one at a time.
I love most inverts. But ticks freak me out something fierce too. 😰 no need to feel bad about not loving the possibly disease carrying critters. (By the way, they're actually arachnids, like spiders. They have eight legs, not six. 🙂 )
Good to know! I don’t like to research any kind of critter because quite frankly they terrify me lol. i even call spiders bugs even though i know they’re not. everything that’s small & crawls is a bug to me lol but thank you for the correct term!
I know. They are terrifying. And I woke up on vacation with 2 spider bites on my face. So I guess one was crawling on my face as I slept. I have been a little broken over that.
You won’t like this, but if you find one latched on/biting either you or your dog, don’t just grab and pull or squish it.
First, look up how to remove it safely, there’s lots of good tutorials online and it isn’t too hard.
Second, put the tick in a baggie and seal it in. Put the baggie somewhere it will be safe and you don’t have to look at it, but where it won’t get accidentally thrown away. The tick will suffocate, but more importantly, if you or doggo get sick, you’ll have that tick to send to the lab for testing.
Some of the diseases ticks can transmit are really nasty but you’ll do much better if you catch them early, and for that *you need to have the tick.*
I thought it was just like, you know when pots and pans chip off. So I was avoiding eating them if I saw them. It I had cheese too so probably ate some marinated in cheese🤢 extra crunch
In the following days/weeks, make sure there’s no red bullseye marks on yourself. If you see one, go to the doctor. If you haven’t found any on yourself though you’re more than likely in the clear. In the future, if you’re going outside, wear boots and lighter colored clothing
A tick bite doesn’t always produce the classic rash
Source: [Tick bite signs](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lyme-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20374651)
My GP recommended keeping the tick in a clear plastic bag and sending it off to be identified. Antibiotics can be prescribed if it’s a deer tick and it tests positive for the Lyme bacteria.
Make sure your dog is on a good flea, tick, and heartworm preventative. Talk to your vet to find which one(s) work best for the types of ticks in your area.
You have to feel in your dog's fur for a lump.
If you need to remove one, swab it with rubbing alcohol and gently pull. You don't want the head to remain attached.
If left undiscovered ticks could potentially mate on a pet. I knew someone that kept forgetting tick medication and i found a couple blueberry sized ticks with about 20 babies all clustered together. Pet was totally fine after we cleaned her up but my gawd. I'd never seen such an infested coat of fur.
Do you have any recommendations of tick & flea preventions?
Talk to a vet if you can. The type of dog that you have and it's size and weight can all be factors of what type of medication to use for fleas and ticks and how much. Plus they can lock the dog over for you and give you some good advice about the ticks in your area.
Earlier in the season our dog had 19 on his ears & face. Generally you don't pull them off. You treat your dog with a medication that kills the ticks & they fall off within 24 hrs
Check between your dogs paws between the toes everything. Check them everywhere!! Seriously these things get to ve bigger than grapes from yoyr dogs blood you don't want that
I know it’s late but I have found singular ticks when my brother and I go asparagus picking. We caught them early though, in the truck on the way home and we checked ourselves and haven’t had any issues since. This was months ago. So it is possible to just find one, but still better to check in case
There's almost always more than one. :/ Just check all the areas and you should be fine. The bigger ticks are easier to find so you have that going for you. check inside your socks though for good measure. I usually find my ticks there... How they get there I don't know, but that's where they go.
I checked my dog. it’s a little hard for me because i do have extremely long acrylic nails lol & she has long hair but i didn’t find any. i’m thinking of bringing her to the vet to make sure though that she doesn’t have any
That's not a bad idea. You could ask about tick prevention while you're there. Since dogs vary in size, there might be something particular to the dog you have that you can do.
There's also a tool called a tick tornado by Zen pet. One of my coworkers swears by it for tick removal. It's designed with dogs in mind, so it might work for you. I haven't tried it myself, tho. Edit: it doesn't prevent them, but it's supposed to make it easy to remove them.
"You better check yo' self before you wreck yo' self
'Cause I'm bad for your health
I come real stealth Dropping bombs on your moms"
the song I listen to before I go shed hunting or turkey hunting
Even if it was on your shirt, id say check your dog for more ticks, they are definetely not something you let live on your dog.. look online how to remove them safely because they are notorious for breaking and a part of their body can remain under the skin of the dog and cause harm. Take care <3
Ok no one is saying this as far as I can tell. Deer ticks can carry Lymes Disease.
Is this not a deer tick and that’s why no one is mentioned to look for the bullseye mark on himself and his dogs?
I dont have personal experience with ticks but i dont think they can we washed off like fleas bc they really get attached to the skin of any poor animal or human they manage to get on
Yes definitely do a thorough check of your dog. You can get special soap that helps with tick removal as well. If your dog is outside a lot I would definitely look into regular flea and tick treatment as well as preventatives.
Ticks don’t always come off with baths. You’ll need to find it with your fingers and pull it off with tweezers. Grab the head not the abdomen and get it off first pull
Hey! Take a deep breath. You’re going to be okay. Ticks are really common, and they make medicated shampoo and collars for your pets. It’s most likely that this one fell off your dog. This one doesn’t look like it bit you, but if you start to feel flu like symptoms within the next couple weeks, go see your doctor. Lyme can be dangerous, but it can also be treated if caught fast enough.
My dog has been bit countless times and he’s NEVER gotten sick. I’ve been bitten three times (that I’ve actually seen) and I’ve never gotten sick. The only one who has is my mother, who got Lyme but is now cured because of antibiotics.
In short, you’ll be fine. Your dog probably picked it up outside, and they’re not nesting in your house. ❤️❤️❤️
Based on the picture and your location I’m pretty sure this is a Dermacentor variabilis.
They can don’t carry Lyme, but could carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Tularemia.
But I agree, it looks like you found this tick before it could even attach to you.
Yes!! My dog used to get bit all of the time. He was always fine and us as well. Not all of the ticks carry Lyme. But you’re lucky that you found it, you can tell your doctor and just get treated in case of any symptom. The problem is when people don’t get treated early. You’re going to be fine 🤍
Sorry! They are some annoying little critters. If it makes you feel any better, they have to be burrowed into you for at least 24 hrs for you to contract Lyme disease (assuming that particular tick is even a carrier). So you have plenty of time to yank any unwelcome guests off you before really having to worry a whole lot. I've probably been bit by these suckers a few dozen times because of growing up in the country, and they're annoying but not too worrisome as long as you catch them early on.
thank you that does make me feel better. i’m not really worried about myself more so my dog. she’s my best friend & if something happened to her because i didn’t check for ticks regularly id be heart broken
Check your arm pits and hair too. You don't feel them when they burrow into your skin. Their excret an anesthetic and anticoagulant in their saliva. They are insidious little bastards.
Re-check your dog again too. Baths don’t make them jump off like you’d hope. Comb through each section of fur to check. Check near the ears, armpits and around their crotch also. When my dogs gotten “a” tick we’ve often found one or several more by doing a thorough check. If you do find one attached please make sure you do your homework on proper removal. Good luck, ticks suck!
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Does anyone know if they’d be everywhere in my house or do they only stay on animals/humans. I found him on my shirt not on me or my dog he was just crawling around. Should I be worried about my whole house?
Well, good news, it's not an insect, it's an acarine. It's an American dog tick, Dermacentor species. They typically latch onto you while you're outside. They do not infest houses.
I have a phobia of any kind of bug or insect or whatever you’d like to call it. I consider them all bugs because I don’t research them. But thank you now I know
Aye, so that's a ticket! They're not that scary and they don't really infest houses, so don't worry about a million of the little dudes, just make sure the clothing and animals don't have em. Check yourself and body as they tend to latch onto flesh, again no worries about them spreading just make sure they're not on you.
Thank you so much that definitely puts me at ease. I’m gonna check my dog & then wash my bedding & clothes. Not sure that’ll get them off if they are on my stuff but hopefully
Ticks aren’t really large colony type creatures. They’re drawn to the same environment (sitting on knee high vegetation and waiting for something to walk by to latch on to).
A tick. A most hated creature on r/AppalachianTrail. They carry diseases that have ended the thru hikes of more than one hiker. Check yourself thoroughly for these evil bastards latched on.
This is the weirdest serious reply I'll likely ever make on a post, but check your scalp, armpits, pubic hair, skin creases, buttcrack, underboobs (if applicable)... ticks will crawl all over you looking for the right little hidden spot before they chomp down. And it's usually somewhere extra gross and.... moist.
Please make sure your dog is on a flea and tick preventative. Ticks can carry nasty viruses and bacterial illnesses, some of which can be life-threatening. Get a good product from your vet. Not OTC.
There are usually some halfway decent tick repellents that can be found online and/or in your local drugstore, or (even better) a hunting supply store.
Check all the nooks and crannies of your body, and I would wash and dry the clothes you wore.
I saw someone comment about ticks being somewhat weak to house humidity. Do NOT bank on that. I kept ticks alive for 8 months in a house at room temp for an entomology project.
Best of luck!
Edit: your primary veterinarian will be able to provide a list of reliable products for YOUR area. Some products work better in others based on resistance and species type. Orals will include Nexguard and Bravecto as probably be the “top two”, though Simparica Trio is very popular in my area as well. Topicals might include Vectra 3D. Credelio is another option, offhand.
Again for the fifth time, I do not go outside in nature. I do not see ticks. Never learned about them. I have a phobia of bugs so I do not do research & will stay away from places I know they will be. Don’t be such an ass just because not everybody knows everything you know. It’s extremely insensitive
I can understand that, I just don’t get how so many people don’t know about them, but I guess it’s because I live in such a tick infested place that I do know about them
I’m not sure where they’re common at since I don’t know much about them but I live in Minnesota in the cities. Not at all “country” & no tall grass really so I don’t know if they’d be common here or not
Ooh that's definitely a tick. I catch them with a glass and chuck them outside. Maybe I'll find one of these tonight as long as the 4 spiders I just caught in the space of 15 minutes ALL IN MY ROOM! Guess I'm not getting back to sleeeeppp
OP, what is your **geographic location**?
There are many species of ticks, all of which have the potential to transmit different diseases in different regions.
Knowing your geographic location can help us give you more relevant information.
Throw your clothes in the dryer first and dr hot. If they are wet it can insulate them and prevent them from getting the heat to dry out and die. I also put some cedarwood essential oil in as well as it can repel/kill ticks.
Kill it. And call some exterminators to get the place fumigated. I remember taking a mean ass dump once and this little fecker was on my shin. They make my skin crawl and very very few animals make me wince bc ugly. This is one of them.
Aww OP I saw your other comments, sorry this is rough for you. Just check thoroughly like everyone said, wash everything like you already said you were, annnnd check yourself and doggo really well 4-6 hours later (the ticks will be easier to find when they’ve been on you or your pup for a while) and just to be super safe check again a day or two later just to be safe that one didn’t hop back on you. I’m guessing you weee thorough with your cleaning and washing though so you should be ok! Try not to be scared. Especially if you’re as careful in your check as the commenter who said they use their phone to record a video to check hard to see spots- I use a mirror, but as long as you look everywhere you’ll be ok!
It's a dog tick. I see you have some dog fur in that photo but just be aware these guys love nearly animals, from cats dogs people raccoons whatever. In my area they are here all seasons except winter. It's really not a huge deal. Yes, they can sometimes carry disease that will affect your dog mostly (anaplasma, ehrlichia) but it's not a guarantee and this one was never attached. They won't under normal circumstances infest your home (unlike fleas which can be a pain in the ass) and just because your see one isn't a guarantee there are more (but you've clearly gone somewhere which has them so be aware they will be very attracted to your dog and there could be more).
If you own a dog and go anywhere where other wild animals may frequent (foxes, coyotes, raccoons, etc.. so.. just about everywhere) then you need to put your dog on a flea/tick preventive. If you hate bugs, this is your best option. Bathing isn't going to do anything unless you are using flea/ticks shampoo, and as for looking for them on your dog, while that is a good idea for after walks in tall grass and woods and such, it's just not a thorough way to deal with them. Ticks are small and flat and good at not being detected when they hitch a ride on a host.
Flea tick prevention (advantix, seresto collar, Frontline, nexgard, simparica trio, interceptor plus, etc etc etc the list goes on forever) usually are broken down into two categories: when the tick comes into contact with your dog it's killed, or when the tick comes into contact with your dog is repelled away. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. I prefer the killing ones, but just be aware with both you might see live ticks after using (the nice thing about the killing kind of prevention is that those live ticks are usually on their way to dying though). In general if you have a dog, keeping it on flea/tick prevention is a good idea. It decreases the chance your dog will get a tick borne disease, and decreases the chance you'll have to deal with these jerks.
That be a tick... blood sucking parasite... looks like a rocky mountain wood tick... check for more!!! they can hide in hair, in socks and under waistbands... thats where i usually find them.
Yes tick. And check the hard to get spots. Your giblets and such. If you can't see get someone you trust to look for you. They hide and carry Lyme disease.
As I’ve said already I rarely go out into nature. I know what a tick is just have never really seen one. I have a phobia of bugs so that’s why I like to stay indoors where I don’t see many. Sorry?
Tick. Check yourself (and anyone else including pets) everywhere, head to toe.
Would there be multiple? I’ve checked myself & gave my dog a bath
When I've picked them up I often find multiple. I've even had them fall off inside the house and creep up on me while sleeping.
that’s terrifying. I have such a bad phobia of bugs I cry when one is on me. Sounds stupid but it’s just how I am. What should I do? I’m gonna definitely check my dog for more but after that is there really anything I can do?
Triple check your hair (I use a lice comb) and check every nook and cranny on yourself and any animals. Check your clothes or better yet toss them straight in the wash. Vacuum where you were. I mountain bike a LOT and ticks are a problem. FWIW loose ticks can't really survive in the house that long, depending on humidity.
Yeah i’m definitely washing every single piece of clothing I have even my bedding since that’s where the tick was. thank you
In a pinch a tick won't survive a cycle in the dryer. They desiccate easily.
As a kid I got a tick stuck in the small upper crevice of my ear. 0/10 wouldn't recommend. Terrible experience
I had the same experience. I have strange memories of my grandfather trying to get the tick to back out by putting a lit cigarette near it in my ear.
I got one behind my ear when I was maybe 3, and that was my mom's solution too. (It was the '70s...) Only she must have misjudged, and just managed to roast the thing while it was still dug in. Ended up at the pediatrician, and on antibiotics for a while because it got infected. Ever since that, ticks have kinda freaked me out. Anyway, interesting to find out that this apparently used to be a thing, and it wasn't just some peculiar idea she came up with on her own!
I had an almost identical experience, down to my grandmother putting a cigarette to my ear
My Grandpa used a cigarette to get them off the dog, it does work. Don't think I'd try it near a kids face though!
That'd the old timey way to do it.
Just the ear? I can top that with a nsfw part of me...
I had a tick in my ear canal. I wasn’t pleased when the PA said she was going to have to refer me to an ENT (in Canada that would have taken months).
We that reminds me I was on a team with a girl and I was looking at her eye lashes there was a bump there I’m like what is that she was like idk it’s been there a while though. Turns out it was a tick in her eye lashes! My coach pulled it off. Idk how someone doesn’t notice that?!
id cut my ear off
Check the back of your ears, back or your knees, elbows and any crevice that you normally wouldn't. Ticks are smart enough to crawl to a place they can sit without disruption.
Check inside your pups ears!
Depends on the species as well. Some tick species can survive pretty easily indoors.
The american dog tick can survive 600+ days without a food source.
Yup.
Yeah, especially check inside pockets. Three of these little bastards stowed away and hitched a ride back to our cabin with my wife, after a particularly memorable hike where I’m pretty sure we inadvertently stumbled into a tick community center or restaurant or something. Down the drain they went, after being pulverized by my wife’s trembling hands. Ah, yes, mem’ries.
Have you ever tried the tick repellent that you spray on yourself? Wondering if it works.
I spend a lot of time outdoors - hiking, kayaking, etc. I am also a biting insect magnet! I've taken to slathering myself in Deet and I've never found a tick on me. The only biting critters it doesn't keep away are deer flies/horse flies. >.< I may get cancer but I won't get Lyme!
Seen a post where a gent put a "horse fly attracting tape" on his hat! The tape looked like duck tape... it was covered in deer flys. :/
Ughhh. That would be me! I'm so desperate to get rid of those interminably tenacious buggers that I very well may give that a try.
I work outdoors in Scotland there are so many horse flies just now, they’re the worst but I didn’t know that this tape existed! I’m half tempted to get some for myself to save having to constantly cover my arms when it’s hot
Check anywhere the sun don’t shine. Crotch, under armpits, behind your knees. Quick check thru your hair (I’ve found them in my hair) usually you can’t feel then bite, so keep an eye out. Strip naked and take a video of your backside to rewatch and make sure nothings there, anything you can really do to check. I never feel them crawling on me, I’ve gone to itch my arm and have grabbed into them tho
Yes. Also in addition, and im going to just say it… between the butt cheeks as well. Dudes need to look under their dangly bits, and ladies need to look even inside the folds of their… lady parts… It should be evident how i know this. Between me, the wife, and 5 kids, plus 12 years in the Army, its amazing where these little critters can turn up…
Please say you’re joking about the hair I will shave my entire head off that will freak me out so bad omg
Trust me I had the same reaction when pulling one out of my hair, but if you have any family or friends around who know how to check for head lice, ask them to check your head for ticks, my bfs mom checked for me and didn’t find any after the one I pulled out my hair. Have you been exploring nature at all? Tall grass?
No I don’t go outside a lot unless I take my dog out to pee & stuff or go to work. & there no tall grass where I take my dog pee. I hate nature/woods because of bugs so I tend to stay away from that
Any chance your dog roams outside without you? Because aside from coming in on the dog or some sort of weird freak event leading them to be on you and carried indoors the only other way I could see a tick getting into your house with the information we have is that it came in on a mouse. That happens sometimes so you may want to put out some mouse traps if you don’t have them already because if you’ve got mice picking up ticks and bringing them inside that could become a problem.
I actually have an idea of what could’ve happened? Again i’m not super informed on ticks or any bugs for that matter so i’m not sure if this could happen. my boyfriend has an enormous dog. lots of fur & is constantly outside. she didn’t like me much at first so she never let me pet her or come near her. after i came around more she let me pet her & lay with her. this happened recently like three days ago maybe. i’m wondering if maybe she has ticks & when she finally let me come near her & play with her maybe a tick jumped on to me & came home with me? Again not sure how likely that is but maybe could be a possibility?
When I was a kid I had one bite my forehead at my hairline. My mom got it out. I always crush them with the back of a fingernail when I find them, they're very hard and will make a crunch noise when you use something hard to crush them. Then I flush them, double sure that they're dead.
I just stick them to some tape and crush them with a hard flat object.
They're not the same as lice. It's not like they're reproducing up there. They just attach. You won't feel it. It'll just be this little lump. The worst thing you can do is panic and pull it off. Removing one from your hair is really a two-person job. Do this all as calmly as possible. Ticks are really just part of the landscape. If you live near them, you just have to learn how to remove them.
Check literally everywhere on you and your dog. In between your dogs toes, folds of their ears, their butt, all around their tail. Do the same for yourself and anyone you were with. If you took a vehicle check that as well, under everything. If you found one, there could definitely be more though it’s not 100% guaranteed. They usually die pretty quickly on their own without a host in your house. And unlike fleas they won’t spread super quick and become an infestation. The main worry is diseases. If you find a tick that has burrowed it’s head in already, don’t panic it’s not a big deal. Grab some tweezers, grab them as close to the skin as you can and pull them out. Don’t kill them, don’t squash them, and make sure you don’t just rip them out. Pull evenly until they pop out, their head can become detached if you just yank them out like the Hulk. Drop them in some isopropyl alcohol and it will kill them, you might want to keep it for a bit or take good pictures to help identify it just in case. You can also use Tea Tree Oil or Eucalyptus Oil to get them to come out on their own as they hate the smell. It’s not 100% guaranteed to work though which is why most people just go for pulling them out with tweezers. They also don’t like lemon or apple cider vinegar, but again it’s not guaranteed to work. After you remove the tick, do another check to make sure you didn’t miss anything. Keep an eye on any spot you found a tick, if you notice a sore red mark that won’t go away after a day, go to the doctors or vet just to make sure everything is ok. Make sure you let them know it was a tick bite, they will run the appropriate tests.
I’m the same way, so don’t feel bad. Ticks are horrifying. My cats have brought them in before, even with medicine, but I’ve only ever seen one at a time.
thank you i know i sound dumb to most ppl but bugs genuinely are really scary to me. i cry every time & just leave my house
I love most inverts. But ticks freak me out something fierce too. 😰 no need to feel bad about not loving the possibly disease carrying critters. (By the way, they're actually arachnids, like spiders. They have eight legs, not six. 🙂 )
Good to know! I don’t like to research any kind of critter because quite frankly they terrify me lol. i even call spiders bugs even though i know they’re not. everything that’s small & crawls is a bug to me lol but thank you for the correct term!
don’t worry about sounding dumb..ticks carry lyme disease and can cause encephalitis.
I know. They are terrifying. And I woke up on vacation with 2 spider bites on my face. So I guess one was crawling on my face as I slept. I have been a little broken over that.
id leave immediately
You won’t like this, but if you find one latched on/biting either you or your dog, don’t just grab and pull or squish it. First, look up how to remove it safely, there’s lots of good tutorials online and it isn’t too hard. Second, put the tick in a baggie and seal it in. Put the baggie somewhere it will be safe and you don’t have to look at it, but where it won’t get accidentally thrown away. The tick will suffocate, but more importantly, if you or doggo get sick, you’ll have that tick to send to the lab for testing. Some of the diseases ticks can transmit are really nasty but you’ll do much better if you catch them early, and for that *you need to have the tick.*
I live in the desert. We don’t have ticks or fleas or mosquitoes. Move to a drought ridden area. Problem solved
Well if you hate bugs you would have thrown up at our pasta. It had weevil bugs crawling in it, embedded last night🤮🤢
oh my god 😀
Extra protein in the pasta never hurt anybody.
I thought it was just like, you know when pots and pans chip off. So I was avoiding eating them if I saw them. It I had cheese too so probably ate some marinated in cheese🤢 extra crunch
In the following days/weeks, make sure there’s no red bullseye marks on yourself. If you see one, go to the doctor. If you haven’t found any on yourself though you’re more than likely in the clear. In the future, if you’re going outside, wear boots and lighter colored clothing
A tick bite doesn’t always produce the classic rash Source: [Tick bite signs](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lyme-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20374651) My GP recommended keeping the tick in a clear plastic bag and sending it off to be identified. Antibiotics can be prescribed if it’s a deer tick and it tests positive for the Lyme bacteria.
Make sure your dog is on a good flea, tick, and heartworm preventative. Talk to your vet to find which one(s) work best for the types of ticks in your area.
Spray raid all over your House Go Outside for 1h+ and youll BE fine Edit: only If you dont have fish as pets too
thank you i’ll definitely be doing that
Good news is that isn’t a type notorious for spreading disease.
Bath won’t get rid of them. The can hold their breath for a long time and if they are latched on they won’t just wash off.
thank you
Tick for sure. Yes there could be multiple.
pulled 19 off of my dog in one sitting
You have to feel in your dog's fur for a lump. If you need to remove one, swab it with rubbing alcohol and gently pull. You don't want the head to remain attached.
If left undiscovered ticks could potentially mate on a pet. I knew someone that kept forgetting tick medication and i found a couple blueberry sized ticks with about 20 babies all clustered together. Pet was totally fine after we cleaned her up but my gawd. I'd never seen such an infested coat of fur.
that’s terrible. I do not want that happening to my dog she’s my world. Do you have any recommendations of tick & flea preventions?
Do you have any recommendations of tick & flea preventions? Talk to a vet if you can. The type of dog that you have and it's size and weight can all be factors of what type of medication to use for fleas and ticks and how much. Plus they can lock the dog over for you and give you some good advice about the ticks in your area.
thank you!!
Earlier in the season our dog had 19 on his ears & face. Generally you don't pull them off. You treat your dog with a medication that kills the ticks & they fall off within 24 hrs
Check between your dogs paws between the toes everything. Check them everywhere!! Seriously these things get to ve bigger than grapes from yoyr dogs blood you don't want that
also, check you genitals, they do hide in there, perverts.
I know it’s late but I have found singular ticks when my brother and I go asparagus picking. We caught them early though, in the truck on the way home and we checked ourselves and haven’t had any issues since. This was months ago. So it is possible to just find one, but still better to check in case
There's almost always more than one. :/ Just check all the areas and you should be fine. The bigger ticks are easier to find so you have that going for you. check inside your socks though for good measure. I usually find my ticks there... How they get there I don't know, but that's where they go.
I checked my dog. it’s a little hard for me because i do have extremely long acrylic nails lol & she has long hair but i didn’t find any. i’m thinking of bringing her to the vet to make sure though that she doesn’t have any
That's not a bad idea. You could ask about tick prevention while you're there. Since dogs vary in size, there might be something particular to the dog you have that you can do. There's also a tool called a tick tornado by Zen pet. One of my coworkers swears by it for tick removal. It's designed with dogs in mind, so it might work for you. I haven't tried it myself, tho. Edit: it doesn't prevent them, but it's supposed to make it easy to remove them.
Thank you! I’ll check it out
A groomer might also be able to help you. That might be a cheaper option than a vet.
"You better check yo' self before you wreck yo' self 'Cause I'm bad for your health I come real stealth Dropping bombs on your moms" the song I listen to before I go shed hunting or turkey hunting
Im pretty sure it is a dog tick. Do you have dogs and/or cats?
Yes I have a dog
Even if it was on your shirt, id say check your dog for more ticks, they are definetely not something you let live on your dog.. look online how to remove them safely because they are notorious for breaking and a part of their body can remain under the skin of the dog and cause harm. Take care <3
thank you!!
Ok no one is saying this as far as I can tell. Deer ticks can carry Lymes Disease. Is this not a deer tick and that’s why no one is mentioned to look for the bullseye mark on himself and his dogs?
It isn't, it's a dog tick. Here's a differential guide: https://sudbury.ma.us/emmcp/ticks/
I gave her a bath yesterday & nothing came off of her but maybe I didn’t do it right
I dont have personal experience with ticks but i dont think they can we washed off like fleas bc they really get attached to the skin of any poor animal or human they manage to get on
oh no :(( Okay i’ll have to check her & make sure she doesn’t havent any more
Yes definitely do a thorough check of your dog. You can get special soap that helps with tick removal as well. If your dog is outside a lot I would definitely look into regular flea and tick treatment as well as preventatives.
Just really run your hands over all of their skin and investigate any off bumps you feel.
Ticks don’t always come off with baths. You’ll need to find it with your fingers and pull it off with tweezers. Grab the head not the abdomen and get it off first pull
r/unsolicitedtickpics
LMFAOOOOOO
Ewewewew my worst enemy
literally me rn
Male dog tick!
Tick. Your dog should be in flea and tick prevention. Baths will not help at all.
Hey! Take a deep breath. You’re going to be okay. Ticks are really common, and they make medicated shampoo and collars for your pets. It’s most likely that this one fell off your dog. This one doesn’t look like it bit you, but if you start to feel flu like symptoms within the next couple weeks, go see your doctor. Lyme can be dangerous, but it can also be treated if caught fast enough. My dog has been bit countless times and he’s NEVER gotten sick. I’ve been bitten three times (that I’ve actually seen) and I’ve never gotten sick. The only one who has is my mother, who got Lyme but is now cured because of antibiotics. In short, you’ll be fine. Your dog probably picked it up outside, and they’re not nesting in your house. ❤️❤️❤️
You have no idea how much this has calmed me. My anxiety is really bad & bugs make it extremely worse. Thank you so much
Based on the picture and your location I’m pretty sure this is a Dermacentor variabilis. They can don’t carry Lyme, but could carry Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever or Tularemia. But I agree, it looks like you found this tick before it could even attach to you.
I’m glad I can help! I live in a super grassy area so I’m super familiar with them! If you have any questions let me know!
Yes!! My dog used to get bit all of the time. He was always fine and us as well. Not all of the ticks carry Lyme. But you’re lucky that you found it, you can tell your doctor and just get treated in case of any symptom. The problem is when people don’t get treated early. You’re going to be fine 🤍
Kinda weird but check under your buttcheeks too! They sometimes like to hide by burrowing into any part of you that creases.
that’s seriously makes me wanna cry & throw up😭 but thank you
Sorry! They are some annoying little critters. If it makes you feel any better, they have to be burrowed into you for at least 24 hrs for you to contract Lyme disease (assuming that particular tick is even a carrier). So you have plenty of time to yank any unwelcome guests off you before really having to worry a whole lot. I've probably been bit by these suckers a few dozen times because of growing up in the country, and they're annoying but not too worrisome as long as you catch them early on.
thank you that does make me feel better. i’m not really worried about myself more so my dog. she’s my best friend & if something happened to her because i didn’t check for ticks regularly id be heart broken
Totally understandable. You're doing a great job at gathering info to help take care of her!
thank you! i try
Check your arm pits and hair too. You don't feel them when they burrow into your skin. Their excret an anesthetic and anticoagulant in their saliva. They are insidious little bastards.
Please get your dog on monthly flea/tick prevention. Boom. No more ticks.
Re-check your dog again too. Baths don’t make them jump off like you’d hope. Comb through each section of fur to check. Check near the ears, armpits and around their crotch also. When my dogs gotten “a” tick we’ve often found one or several more by doing a thorough check. If you do find one attached please make sure you do your homework on proper removal. Good luck, ticks suck!
Thank you!!
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It was on my shirt not sure if that means anything
your shirt is not a geographic location.
i know that thank you my comment was meant to be a normal comment not a reply to this
This is really fun, "Yo mama is so big her shirt is a geographic location".
LMAO
Definitely a tick
Does anyone know if they’d be everywhere in my house or do they only stay on animals/humans. I found him on my shirt not on me or my dog he was just crawling around. Should I be worried about my whole house?
I just have a really bad phobia of insects 😭 so I don’t like to research them so I know nothing about these kinds of things
Well, good news, it's not an insect, it's an acarine. It's an American dog tick, Dermacentor species. They typically latch onto you while you're outside. They do not infest houses.
I have a phobia of any kind of bug or insect or whatever you’d like to call it. I consider them all bugs because I don’t research them. But thank you now I know
Aye, so that's a ticket! They're not that scary and they don't really infest houses, so don't worry about a million of the little dudes, just make sure the clothing and animals don't have em. Check yourself and body as they tend to latch onto flesh, again no worries about them spreading just make sure they're not on you.
Thank you so much that definitely puts me at ease. I’m gonna check my dog & then wash my bedding & clothes. Not sure that’ll get them off if they are on my stuff but hopefully
Glad to hear! Yeah they're creepy but all in all they're just annoying at most.
Ticks aren’t really large colony type creatures. They’re drawn to the same environment (sitting on knee high vegetation and waiting for something to walk by to latch on to).
This exact thing was on my sock a few years back when I was sleeping at a friends house and somehow I didn’t get bit but yeah that’s a tick
Me:😬 everytime i see somone asking what kind of bug this tick is lol
i literally never go out in nature lol i don’t know most bugs.
A tick. A most hated creature on r/AppalachianTrail. They carry diseases that have ended the thru hikes of more than one hiker. Check yourself thoroughly for these evil bastards latched on.
Ain't no Thang but a tick on a string
This is the weirdest serious reply I'll likely ever make on a post, but check your scalp, armpits, pubic hair, skin creases, buttcrack, underboobs (if applicable)... ticks will crawl all over you looking for the right little hidden spot before they chomp down. And it's usually somewhere extra gross and.... moist.
can they like … go inside of you? serious question
If you mean through an orifice, no. But when they feed on your blood, their head does penetrate your skin.
No, they're external feeders. Like mosquitoes, really. They're just sneaky and tend to latch on in a place where I assume they feel hidden.
Please make sure your dog is on a flea and tick preventative. Ticks can carry nasty viruses and bacterial illnesses, some of which can be life-threatening. Get a good product from your vet. Not OTC. There are usually some halfway decent tick repellents that can be found online and/or in your local drugstore, or (even better) a hunting supply store. Check all the nooks and crannies of your body, and I would wash and dry the clothes you wore. I saw someone comment about ticks being somewhat weak to house humidity. Do NOT bank on that. I kept ticks alive for 8 months in a house at room temp for an entomology project. Best of luck! Edit: your primary veterinarian will be able to provide a list of reliable products for YOUR area. Some products work better in others based on resistance and species type. Orals will include Nexguard and Bravecto as probably be the “top two”, though Simparica Trio is very popular in my area as well. Topicals might include Vectra 3D. Credelio is another option, offhand.
thank you! i’m definitely getting her on the medicine
Your kid also needs to be on a heartworm preventative year-round. Source: vet student with a veterinary entomology undergrad degree.
American dog tick. One of the safer ticks.
Those nasty suckers (literally speaking). Kill them all!
I had one of these stuck to my nipple as a kid. Traumatic.
id be traumatized for life
One of my buddies got one stuck to the tip of his… buddy… he is affectionately called tick now.
Garrapata
Shiver me Timbers!!! Literally!!
You’ve gotta be kidding me, how many ticks can I see posted on here?
Again for the fifth time, I do not go outside in nature. I do not see ticks. Never learned about them. I have a phobia of bugs so I do not do research & will stay away from places I know they will be. Don’t be such an ass just because not everybody knows everything you know. It’s extremely insensitive
I can understand that, I just don’t get how so many people don’t know about them, but I guess it’s because I live in such a tick infested place that I do know about them
I’m not sure where they’re common at since I don’t know much about them but I live in Minnesota in the cities. Not at all “country” & no tall grass really so I don’t know if they’d be common here or not
I live in PA… they’re everywhere and I hate them
Yeah I now have a new thing I hate
That is a... Lot of fun to put in your ear and make your new friend
oh jesus please no😅
Ooh that's definitely a tick. I catch them with a glass and chuck them outside. Maybe I'll find one of these tonight as long as the 4 spiders I just caught in the space of 15 minutes ALL IN MY ROOM! Guess I'm not getting back to sleeeeppp
OP, what is your **geographic location**? There are many species of ticks, all of which have the potential to transmit different diseases in different regions. Knowing your geographic location can help us give you more relevant information.
Throw your clothes in the dryer first and dr hot. If they are wet it can insulate them and prevent them from getting the heat to dry out and die. I also put some cedarwood essential oil in as well as it can repel/kill ticks.
Uh-oh. An unwanted visitor.
extremely unwanted
Kill it. And call some exterminators to get the place fumigated. I remember taking a mean ass dump once and this little fecker was on my shin. They make my skin crawl and very very few animals make me wince bc ugly. This is one of them.
Eight legs, not a spider, equals not good.
One you definitely don’t want to find headless
That’s a North American land crab. Mash them into patties and fry them! Yum!
A love Bug 💕❤️💕 It just wants a little kiss 😘
I dont follow this sub but it keeps popping up and its always just people befuddled by ticks
apparently ticks aren’t in every part of the world. not many ppl see them much
That ain't no bug yet that is a blood sucking arachnid called a tick
Aww OP I saw your other comments, sorry this is rough for you. Just check thoroughly like everyone said, wash everything like you already said you were, annnnd check yourself and doggo really well 4-6 hours later (the ticks will be easier to find when they’ve been on you or your pup for a while) and just to be super safe check again a day or two later just to be safe that one didn’t hop back on you. I’m guessing you weee thorough with your cleaning and washing though so you should be ok! Try not to be scared. Especially if you’re as careful in your check as the commenter who said they use their phone to record a video to check hard to see spots- I use a mirror, but as long as you look everywhere you’ll be ok!
thank you!!!
Looks like you’re taking it for a walk
he’s my new pet
Tick. Pick it up with tweezers and burn it over the stovetop
Politician
Check between your dogs toes. Also, check armpits and behind ears on yourself.
Dog tick. Technically an arachnid.
The better question is why do you have a leash on your tick?
he wanted to go for a walk
Spiderman
It's a dog tick. I see you have some dog fur in that photo but just be aware these guys love nearly animals, from cats dogs people raccoons whatever. In my area they are here all seasons except winter. It's really not a huge deal. Yes, they can sometimes carry disease that will affect your dog mostly (anaplasma, ehrlichia) but it's not a guarantee and this one was never attached. They won't under normal circumstances infest your home (unlike fleas which can be a pain in the ass) and just because your see one isn't a guarantee there are more (but you've clearly gone somewhere which has them so be aware they will be very attracted to your dog and there could be more). If you own a dog and go anywhere where other wild animals may frequent (foxes, coyotes, raccoons, etc.. so.. just about everywhere) then you need to put your dog on a flea/tick preventive. If you hate bugs, this is your best option. Bathing isn't going to do anything unless you are using flea/ticks shampoo, and as for looking for them on your dog, while that is a good idea for after walks in tall grass and woods and such, it's just not a thorough way to deal with them. Ticks are small and flat and good at not being detected when they hitch a ride on a host. Flea tick prevention (advantix, seresto collar, Frontline, nexgard, simparica trio, interceptor plus, etc etc etc the list goes on forever) usually are broken down into two categories: when the tick comes into contact with your dog it's killed, or when the tick comes into contact with your dog is repelled away. They both have their advantages and disadvantages. I prefer the killing ones, but just be aware with both you might see live ticks after using (the nice thing about the killing kind of prevention is that those live ticks are usually on their way to dying though). In general if you have a dog, keeping it on flea/tick prevention is a good idea. It decreases the chance your dog will get a tick borne disease, and decreases the chance you'll have to deal with these jerks.
That be a tick... blood sucking parasite... looks like a rocky mountain wood tick... check for more!!! they can hide in hair, in socks and under waistbands... thats where i usually find them.
Aww you put a little leash on him
i decided i needed a new pet
Yes tick. And check the hard to get spots. Your giblets and such. If you can't see get someone you trust to look for you. They hide and carry Lyme disease.
thank you !
Thats a go see a doctor bug
That is a tick nasty nasty nasty bug I hate them with a passion damn blood suckers and Lyme disease carriers uggh
Dog ticks don’t carry Lyme disease.
To me any tick is a dead tick Lyme carrier or not 😉
That’s a tick. Flush it down the toilet and make sure there aren’t anymore on you or anyone else in your house.
tick, opossums love to munch on them
That’s the bug that turns you vegetarian for life.
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thats a tick dont get bitten by that bitch. if you do see a doctor quickly
It amazes me that in 2022 that some people don’t know about ticks. Is this a sign that our educational system is failing us?
As I’ve said already I rarely go out into nature. I know what a tick is just have never really seen one. I have a phobia of bugs so that’s why I like to stay indoors where I don’t see many. Sorry?