question on ticks

Today I found a small tick on the back of my knee. I don't think it was there yesterday so it shouldn't have been there more then 24h.
I removed it with one of these special tick pincers. I thought I had all of it (body, legs, head) but then I noticed a black point still under the skin so I think part of the "stinger" (not sure how you call that with a tick) stayed in. I can't reach it with pincers, been poking it with a needle, scrubbed it, squeezed it, but it still won't come out.

Some websites on Lyme say to go to the doctor and have it removed, but the red cross website says it can't do much harm and will come out naturally just like a splinter.

I know to watch the spot and check for skin reactions the next weeks...

but the question is, do I need to have this thing completely removed? Or can't it do much harm?

reply to post by GypsK


Very important don't let the pincer stay in the skin for too long. I heard some stories of some people having another extra arm grow there.

I imagine you wouldn't like that to happen

reply to post by KpxMarMoTT


ha funny

but serious, where I live nearly 23% of the ticks are infected with the bacteria that causes Lyme disease so I am woried... I would think that the longer it stays in the skin, the more risk of getting infected.... some sources say yes, others say no....

Have your doc remove it or soak for it a long time and dig again to try to get it out.

I've never gotten a tick all they way out. I spend alot of time outdoors and get them alot. I always just let them heal up on there own and have never had a problem. Sometimes I get a sore, sometimes not.

reply to post by rakkasansct


thanks (makes me worry a bit less)
there's a lot of comotion about ticks here, mostly about the bacteria that causes Lyme's
.... they sell so many different pincers to remove them and have so many techniques described (pull, turn, turn and pull,...) heh....
I'll just let my self inflicted wound from poking heal and if it doesn't give any problems then I guess it's ok

You have little reason to worry, it will heal by itself. Any danger of a host tick transmitting lyme disease or rocky mountain spotted fever ended when you killed the tick. Ticks need about 24 hours embedded in you for you to get infected, Small larval ticks, the so-called "seed" ticks carry no diseases.
It sounds like you might have had a young adult tick though if you can still see the head in your skin.

DEET or permethrin sprayed on clothing is the best deterrent.
Also try to avoid tall grass and trails frequently used my rabbits or deer.

Do monitor the bite. Signs of infection include:rash (bullseye red with white center), fever, chills, fatigue, general achiness.
I hope everything turns out fine and don;t let this keep you from the great outdoors!

Yes, asktheanimals is dead on about the rash. If you see a rash and a doctor says you don't have Lyme disease, get a second opinion. Lyme disease can do all sorts of damage, and has to be taken care of early.

Now that you know about the ticks, check yourself often. The piece left in there won't do any harm, it'll work itself out. When the ticks are in for a long time, they will get puffed up. If it was still small, less chance of harm.

reply to post by Asktheanimals


thanks for that reply

I live in nature (sinds july so it's still getting used to it for me,lol)... but haven't been out in shorts the last month or so, alway long pants, socks, closed shoes....

I have a ragdoll cat who brings them in the house in her long fur I think, they don't bite her because she's treated with a product against ticks and flees, but sometimes I do see them stick to the fur. And when the cat crawls on the bed or on the coutch, the ticks fall off.... think that's how I got it

Originally posted by snowspirit
Yes, asktheanimals is dead on about the rash. If you see a rash and a doctor says you don't have Lyme disease, get a second opinion. Lyme disease can do all sorts of damage, and has to be taken care of early.

Now that you know about the ticks, check yourself often. The piece left in there won't do any harm, it'll work itself out. When the ticks are in for a long time, they will get puffed up. If it was still small, less chance of harm.

edit on 12-10-2010 by snowspirit because: to add, to change..

yeah I've been reading up on Lyme earlier today, not something to take lightly, but I've seen images of the rashes it causes... let's hope I won't get those.

Like I said in my previous post, I'm a former 'citygirl' and still getting use to the outdoors. In the last 3 months I've seen things crawling that I didn't know existed!

reply to post by GypsK


I lived for a year in southern Saskatchewan, in an area that was totally infested. Lots of deer and farmland all around. 1 cat and 2 dogs at that time. The cat never seemed to have any on her, and I didn't use any flea and tick stuff at all, the vet said cats usually sense them there and get them off right away. One dog I used the stuff on, and it made no difference. One dog was a puppy at that time, so I couldn't safely use anything. Ticks were everywhere!! It was awful.

Every time the dogs came into the house, I was going over their fur, literally everywhere. I drove the older one crazy, she isn't affectionate, hates to be picked at, and she had the most (she was also the one treated with tick deterrent). By the tail, under the tail, between the toes, armpit areas, ears........I became an expert

Never squeeze the body of a tick, always get it out from as close to the skin as possible. With a gentle firm pull. They don't smother, and never try to burn one out. Sometimes a little hole is left when you pull the tick out, because they firmly cement themselves into the skin.

I kept a jar half full of rubbing alcohol, every time a tick was picked of someone, put in the alcohol, and close the jar. The only other way to kill them was ripping them in half, too messy, too many ticks. I had at least 100 a day :shk: Down the sink or in the toilet, they will survive and crawl out.

If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to message me, I know lots about them now.
I live 3 hours north of the tick infested area of the province now, and I still watch a little with the weather/climate changing.

I can't say if anything left would harm you but take care to keep it disinfected and bear this in mind for future.

This applies to PETS too.

Rather than use tweezers or any other kind of impliment to remove a tick, use the tip of a finger on the abdomen of the attached tick and rub gently in small circles. Keep doing this for a while and the tick should let go and fall off.

Place it in some tissue paper and STAMP ON IT! Maybe a clean with disinfectant to be on the safe side.

It worked on one of my cats and I was amazed. No fuss, No wondering if anything was left and no flailing claws to scratch me.

Cheers.