You're most likely fine. I believe any of the serious tick-borne diseases get transferred only after they've been on you long enough to feed, get fat, then regurgitate back into your bloodstream. That could take 24 hours or more (and it would be super fat) . I'm not a doctor or expert but I did a lot of reading on this sort of shit bc I come across ticks all the time in my hikes and absolutely hate them.
Yes, that is my understanding as well. I often hike with a medical doctor friend and he says it typically takes over 24 hours of attachment for disease transmission to occur.
Hasn't taken a blood meal cuz the abdomen isn't swollen. Was probably looking for a place to latch on. You're pretty fine.
But those particular ticks carry Lyme so next time you go out treat your clothing with permethrin and spray some DEET on yourself.
It happens. You are probably fine but unfortunately ticks can carry a ton of diseases and there is only a vaccine for one of them (TBE). If you get red rings around the bite site and/or fever you should go to a doctor because you probably got Lyme disease.
If you live or travel in a region with TBE you should get the vaccine.
It's good advice, but it's worth mentioning more than half of the cases of Lyme never present with a bullseye rash, so it's not a foolproof thing to watch for. Check the other symptoms of Lyme and be on the lookout for that as well.
I live in the woods. Seen ~20 during April. My neighbor even got bit once and contracted Lyme. You get sick like "the worst flu of your life". There's no wiggle room for I wonder if it got me, you know right away.
Leave them in a little medicine bottle, or bag, with bleach and they will completely dissolve in a few hours. Best way to kill them I've found so far. Tough little bastards.
I use a lighter to heat a small piece of metal like a knife or needlenose pliers and cook them with the hot metal. I usually have these when camping or hiking, but bleach can be used to treat water in a pinch so that's a good one.
This is my understanding too. If that guy didnt have his head buried in you, then he was probably still looking for a good place to settle down.
I wouldn't worry.
I always have a backup plan tho - do you have a baggie to save him in? Assuming he's not still alive. If you get a bite mark on your neck that looks like a target, with an outside ring & a bullseye, or symptoms of flu, then you want to bring the tick to get tested and yourself to a doctor. Just in case.
No I didn't collect him. Didn't think to. Was more worried about getting rid of him. I think he did have his head buried because I was picking at it thinking it was a pimple and then it came off after like the 4th pick, and that's when I realized it was a tick
Don’t worry. Nobody I hikes with bothers saving the ticks we remove, and this one has obviously not fed. Edit: also this isn’t a deer tick, so it wouldn’t have been carrying Lyme disease. Looks like a dog tick to me. There are other diseases it could have carried, of course.
My Mom has Lyme disease and I can tell you first hand how awful it is. I would still contact your doctor even if it isn’t a deer tick and next time save it so it can be tested. Might be over kill but if you can catch it before it turns into chronic Lyme, you can actually cure it. In all likelihood you are just fine, just it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
I don't remember where I heard this, but my understanding is that if they are pulled off, the head stays imbedded, and that's the problem. I think somehow people use something hot ( I don't remember what ) to burn the tick to get it to come out. My take on all this is sketchy, but hope it can help.
If you are able to, Ive been told to put the tick in to a ziploc with some green grass/leaves, if it really dug into you.
Tests can be run on the tick for diseases if you develop a rash or have symptoms. But you should be fine! Most tick bites result in nothing.
I use the "Tick Key" for easy removal. Its seriously a godsend, put it in your keychain and have it with you always!
You're most likely fine. I believe any of the serious tick-borne diseases get transferred only after they've been on you long enough to feed, get fat, then regurgitate back into your bloodstream. That could take 24 hours or more (and it would be super fat) . I'm not a doctor or expert but I did a lot of reading on this sort of shit bc I come across ticks all the time in my hikes and absolutely hate them.
Yes, that is my understanding as well. I often hike with a medical doctor friend and he says it typically takes over 24 hours of attachment for disease transmission to occur.
Nice, I usually hike with a tick friend and she typically takes around 24 hours to finish feeding on a passerby so that checks out.
Ticks are always trying to get close to me, but I always avoid them. Should I be more open-minded?
It depends if you've got a >6” tick. Gotta get them well hung
Hasn't taken a blood meal cuz the abdomen isn't swollen. Was probably looking for a place to latch on. You're pretty fine. But those particular ticks carry Lyme so next time you go out treat your clothing with permethrin and spray some DEET on yourself.
It happens. You are probably fine but unfortunately ticks can carry a ton of diseases and there is only a vaccine for one of them (TBE). If you get red rings around the bite site and/or fever you should go to a doctor because you probably got Lyme disease. If you live or travel in a region with TBE you should get the vaccine.
It's good advice, but it's worth mentioning more than half of the cases of Lyme never present with a bullseye rash, so it's not a foolproof thing to watch for. Check the other symptoms of Lyme and be on the lookout for that as well.
I live in the woods. Seen ~20 during April. My neighbor even got bit once and contracted Lyme. You get sick like "the worst flu of your life". There's no wiggle room for I wonder if it got me, you know right away.
This is a Dermacentor genus tick, and they don’t transmit Lyme if that makes you feel any better.
Kill it with fire.
Leave them in a little medicine bottle, or bag, with bleach and they will completely dissolve in a few hours. Best way to kill them I've found so far. Tough little bastards.
I want to hear them scream.
I use a lighter to heat a small piece of metal like a knife or needlenose pliers and cook them with the hot metal. I usually have these when camping or hiking, but bleach can be used to treat water in a pinch so that's a good one.
https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/1cfe9mm/distribution_of_ticks_infected_with_lyme_disease/
This is my understanding too. If that guy didnt have his head buried in you, then he was probably still looking for a good place to settle down. I wouldn't worry. I always have a backup plan tho - do you have a baggie to save him in? Assuming he's not still alive. If you get a bite mark on your neck that looks like a target, with an outside ring & a bullseye, or symptoms of flu, then you want to bring the tick to get tested and yourself to a doctor. Just in case.
No I didn't collect him. Didn't think to. Was more worried about getting rid of him. I think he did have his head buried because I was picking at it thinking it was a pimple and then it came off after like the 4th pick, and that's when I realized it was a tick
Lol, okay. Next time.
Don’t worry. Nobody I hikes with bothers saving the ticks we remove, and this one has obviously not fed. Edit: also this isn’t a deer tick, so it wouldn’t have been carrying Lyme disease. Looks like a dog tick to me. There are other diseases it could have carried, of course.
My Mom has Lyme disease and I can tell you first hand how awful it is. I would still contact your doctor even if it isn’t a deer tick and next time save it so it can be tested. Might be over kill but if you can catch it before it turns into chronic Lyme, you can actually cure it. In all likelihood you are just fine, just it’s always better to be safe than sorry.
Just checked my whole body... thanks
Did you check the under carriage? They like warm dark crevices.
I don't remember where I heard this, but my understanding is that if they are pulled off, the head stays imbedded, and that's the problem. I think somehow people use something hot ( I don't remember what ) to burn the tick to get it to come out. My take on all this is sketchy, but hope it can help.
If you are able to, Ive been told to put the tick in to a ziploc with some green grass/leaves, if it really dug into you. Tests can be run on the tick for diseases if you develop a rash or have symptoms. But you should be fine! Most tick bites result in nothing. I use the "Tick Key" for easy removal. Its seriously a godsend, put it in your keychain and have it with you always!