Holy Tick! What to Do When You Find a Tick on Your Kid.

As I was getting Addie ready for her bath the other night, I found a deer tick digging its way into her shoulder. I was mortified! My first thought was Lyme Disease. My second thought was, “how the heck am I supposed to get this thing out?” The head of the tick had already burrowed into her skin. Naturally, I called Kendra into the bathroom for a quick conference.

My gut instinct was to use tweezers to take it out, but we both have heard so many old-wives tales about removing ticks, we weren’t positive about a course of action. I knew I had read somewhere about twisting them off or using butter to smother them. Instead of winging it, we took to the Internet and did some research. This is what we found:

Absolute NO’s for removing ticks

• DO NOT smother the tick in nail polish, butter, Vaseline, or any other substance. You want to remove the tick as soon as possible.
• DO NOT try to burn the tick off with a match or lighter.
• DO NOT twist the body – pull the tick out slowly in a straight line.

Here’s what we ended up doing:

1. We circled the area around the tick with a Sharpie. This way, we know where the bite was in case a rash develops.
2. We used tweezers to remove the tick, grabbing closely to the mouth and pulling straight out. (If you don’t get the entire tick in one swoop, use the tweezers to pull out anything left behind.)
3. We put the tick into a small container with rubbing alcohol.
4. We swabbed her skin with rubbing alcohol.

We are keeping an eye on the area of the bite, as well as on Addie’s health. Though ticks do not always transmit diseases, it can and does happen. There a quite a few nasty but treatable diseases that are spread by ticks, so it’s important to watch for signs and symptoms, which can occur anywhere from three days to over a month after the bite.

Symptoms to Watch For After a Tick Bite

• rash
• fever/chills
• aches & pains
• swollen lymph nodes
• infection at the bite site
• joint pain

How to Avoid Ticks in the First Place

Ticks are most active from April to September, but are a danger year-round. Here are a few tips to help you minimize the risks of being bitten:

• When hiking, stay in the center of the trail.
• When in tall grass/woodsy areas, wear clothing that covers your arms and legs.
• Use insect repellent
• Take a bath/shower when you come indoors.
• Check your clothing and gear. You can tumble dry clothing on high heat to kill any missed ticks.

When checking your child for ticks, the U.S. Center for Disease Control recommends the following:

Check for ticks under the arms, in and around the ears, inside the belly button, behind the knees, between the legs, around the waist, and especially in their hair.

Remember, if you do find a tick on your child, don’t panic. Carefully remove the tick and save it in a glass jar or plastic bag (for potential identification and testing), and clean the bite area with rubbing alcohol, or soap and warm water. Take your little one to the doctor if any symptoms develop.

Finally, remember that ticks are no reason to stay indoors! Just take precautions and be vigilant about checking your kids after outdoor play.