If you find ticks inside your home, here’s what you should know

I like to think of myself as having love and understanding towards all creatures. Even spiders and snakes – fairly common phobias among humans – don’t freak me out to the point where I’ll actively take steps to avoid them.

You could say that I have a high threshold where tolerance for creepy crawlies is concerned… just not with ticks.

No, shameful as it is for me to admit, I wouldn’t lose an ounce of sleep if ticks vanished from the world tomorrow, never to be seen again. The thing is, they’re not just annoying (not to mention invasive and, well, enough to make most people’s skin-crawl) but they can actually be dangerous.

Ticks can carry debilitating diseases including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, so it should go without saying that they’re probably not the best house guests for you to be entertaining…

That said, depending on where you live, the time of year, and whether or not you have pets at home, the chances of you encountering ticks can be fairly high.

So, what to do if and when you do come across one these tiny blights within the four walls you all home? Well, that’s the question you’re all here to have answered, so without further ado, let’s get down to it…

Identify and isolate the problem
It’s a good idea for you to try and identify the type of tick (whether its a black-legged, dog, or brown dog tick). If the tick is located in a specific area, keep your children or pets away until the tick is taken care of.

Protective steps
To make sure the tick doesn’t latch onto you, wear gloves and long-sleeved clothing so your skin isn’t exposed.

Clean thoroughly
Make sure you thoroughly wash any clothing or bedding that the tick has come into contact with. Do so on high heat. Vacuum the area, paying special attention to crevices and corners.

Tick removal
Take fine-tipped tweezers and grab hold of the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible. Slowly pull upwards, but avoid twisting or jerking to ensure that the tick’s head doesn’t break off and remain in your skin.

Following the removal, clean any bite areas with alcohol or soapy water. You can use alcohol to dispose of the tick, or else flush it down the toilet.

Monitor your bite
It’s a good idea to monitor any bite sites you find, as well as the monitor the person who’s been bitten for symptoms.

Hopefully this helps! Share this article on Facebook to help spread the message.

Related Posts

All the items Pope Francis will have in his casket when he’s buried

On April 26, millions of people worldwide will be watching as Pope Francis is laid to rest in his tomb in the Basilica of St. Mary Major….

Fans do a double take after side-by-side photo of Barron and young Donald goes viral

It’s not just the towering height or the quiet charm catching attention this time —Barron Trump recently went viral for something even more uncanny: looking exactly like…

Why Pope Francis’s apartment was sealed immediately after his death

Pope Francis was admired for his humble lifestyle and simple way of living — but with his death, a series of ancient and almost mysterious rituals was…

Pope Francis’s last public appearance leaves profound message

This morning, people all around the world woke up to the news of Pope Francis’s death. On the occasion of Easter Monday, the Vatican announced the sad…

Mom responds to backlash after photo breastfeeding toddler

The debate of whether women should be able to breastfeed their children in public is not a new one. In fact, it has been around for quite…

Tragic last words of pilot before crash that killed 75 after kids sat in cockpit

Some plane crashes are more chilling than others, and what happened on March 23, 1994, is one of the most unsettling stories I’ve ever heard. In one…