Best Tick Remover Tool The Safest Way to Get Rid of Tiny Bloodsuckers

by
LJ Regencia

Lara is an animal lover and a pet writer. A fur-momma of three rambunctious dogs and also a supporting member of The Philippine Animal Welfare Society. Read more

| Updated June 12, 2019

Ticks are the most dangerous parasites next to mosquitoes. These little ninjas hide almost anywhere – grass blades, rotting wood, toys, old furniture, broken bikes, and whatnot. They mount on rats and possums as they raid your house, declaring war. While they’re at it, they also leave larvae and eggs along the way.

Do not panic if you find a tick feasting on your pet’s blood or yours. Hopefully, the bloodsucker is still pretty small. Grab a tick removal tool and pull out the little sucker out before it gets bigger. The longer it feeds, the greater the chances that it has already transmitted harmful pathogens to you. Never squeeze the tick or pull it out using your fingers, regardless of how tempting it is because you don’t want a blood and germ explosion to take place.

Ticks on Dogs

Tick Characteristics

You need to distinguish ticks from other little buggers, in case you see one attached on your skin or on your pet's. Ticks have eight legs, which mean they are arachnids — the same class as spiders and scorpions. They may appear brown, reddish brown, yellowish, or white depending on their species. Others may also bear special markings.

Ticks are as difficult as fleas to spot, especially during their early-stage forms. A tick larva is just about the size of a dot on your screen, while a nymph is just as big as a poppy seed. An adult tick is roughly the size of a sesame seed, but its body can grow as big as a peanut and appear olive grey in color when engorged.

These creepy crawlies can't exactly jump and run after you because they are blind. Nevertheless, ticks possess a unique complex sensory structure called the fore-tarsal Haller's organ. It is found exclusively at a tick's first pair of legs. This organ detects chemicals, humidity, and temperature. Additionally, their tiny little mouths have a tiny harpoon-like straw called hypostome, which allows them to suck the blood out of their host.

Why Ticks are Drawn to Dogs...and Humans

Green Tick Remover

Ticks don't just laze around grass, hoping to snack on your dog's blood by chance. They are holoparasites, which means they cannot complete their life cycle and reproduce if they fail to find a suitable host to exploit. Therefore, they have a strong motivation to seek out that warm all-you-can-eat buffet. But why are they particularly drawn to dogs and humans?

Ticks aren’t fussy eaters. They will seek out all kinds of warm-blooded animals, even an amphibian, for their meals. What attracts ticks are carbon dioxide and heat. Dogs are easy targets because they emit carbon dioxide as they exhale and they emit more when they're asleep. Not to mention their curiosity and playful nature often lead them to tick territory.

Although ticks can only see vague images, their special sensory organ allows them to track potential hosts. Some species will dig in once they’ve landed, while others roam around in search for a spot they can easily puncture. One of their favorite spots is around the ears where the skin is thin. When pets are absent, ticks will feast on humans, instead. Ticks also love to snack on moist areas of the body, such as the groin.

How Harmful are Tick Bites?

Ticks inject certain enzymes through their saliva. Those enzymes have an anesthetic effect. Also, it prevents the blood from thickening so the tiny bloodsuckers can feed with ease. However, some individuals are sensitive to this saliva, resulting in inflammation.

In addition, ticks can harbor multiple pathogens that cause life-threatening illnesses not just to dogs but also to humans. At the time of writing, the Global Lyme Alliance listed 15 tick-borne diseases. The most chronic of all tick-borne illnesses is Lyme disease.

So many improper tick removal methods saturate the Internet. While some people swear that these methods work, scientific studies prove otherwise. Here are tick removal methods you should never try:

Burning a tick using a kitchen match

Heating the tick won’t convince it to let go, but rather it increases your exposure to pathogens when the tick regurgitates or ruptures.

Pouring rubbing alcohol on a tick

Surely, you can drown a tick in a plastic cap filled with rubbing alcohol but simply squirting a few drops won’t cause it to disengage from the skin.

Applying petroleum jelly to a tick

You can’t easily suffocate a tick using petroleum jelly. According to Dr. Glen R. Needham, PhD. ticks can survive breathing only as little as four times per hour. Therefore, it could take a very long time before it gives up its grip.

Covering a tick with a thick coat of nail polish

This strategy has the same logical thinking as the petroleum jelly technique. Smothering a tick with nail polish only immobilizes it and give it a secure place on the skin.

Sprinkling peppermint oil on a tick

Dr. Neeta Connally, the assistant professor of Biology at Western Connecticut State University, warns that this method is not only ineffective but also dangerous. Peppermint oil aggravates ticks and causes them to salivate further. This means the risk of disease-causing pathogens that enter into your body increases as well.

Using your fingers to pull a tick

There are many wrong ways to remove a tick but the worst is using your fingers to pull it. It is unhygienic and you could squash the tick, increasing your exposure to disease-carrying pathogens.

The Best Way to Remove a Tick

tick removal

According to the experts at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the best way to remove a tick is to simply pull it straight upwards in a clean motion. To achieve this, you need the best tick removal tool.

Ticks get a good grip on the skin because of the lateral barbs extending from their mouthparts. But with a tick removal tool, you can safely and effortlessly get rid of these little buggers from your pets. Unlike regular tweezers, a tick removal tool won’t leave a part of the tick attached on the skin. Rather, it ensures the tick is entirely removed without the risk of squeezing it. The last thing you want is blood squirting out of that bloodsucker! This nifty tool usually has a curved tip so you can effortlessly glide it.

Best Tick Removal Tools

Our team has handpicked 6 best of the best tick removal tools in the market to save you from the exhausting work of browsing hundreds of products. We’ve also set out to find the advantages and disadvantages of each item to help you narrow down your choices. So, scroll down and enjoy!

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<div class="prev" id="">
  <h3 id="ticked-off-tick-remover">4. Ticked Off Tick Remover</h3>
  <p>
    <img class="alignright" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/511i1UkpHTL._SL300_.jpg" alt="4. Ticked Off Tick Remover"/>
  </p>
  <p>The Ticked Off Tick Remover tool takes out ticks so effectively that you’d never have to touch those little buggers with your fingers again!</p>
  <p>One pack comes with three colorful tick-removing tools, which resemble measuring spoons. Each tool measures six inches and has a narrow V-shaped notch to pull the tick.</p>
  <p>No more questioning whether or not you grabbed the head of a tick or your pet’s hair. No more putting your dog at an awkward pose just to get rid of a tick at hard to reach areas. You just part your dog’s hair, glide the scoop along the skin towards the little sucker. It’s quick and drama-free! What’s more, you can easily dispose of the tick by filling the scoop with rubbing alcohol.</p>
  <p>This proud all-American product is made of good quality plastic so it can be reused. Nonetheless, it is inexpensive enough that if you need to dispose of one, like after removing a tick from your pet’s butt!</p>
  <div class="pros">
    <h5>pros</h5>
    <ul>
      <li>No jerking, no pulling, no squeezing</li>
      <li>Completely pain-free</li>
      <li>The bowl-shaped end allows easy disposal of ticks</li>
      <li>Each pack contains three reusable scoopers</li>
      <li>Vet-endorsed and CDC compliant</li>
    </ul>
  </div>
  <div class="cons">
    <h5>cons</h5>
    <ul>
      <li>May not work for nymphs and other small tick species</li>
      <li>Some owners complained that the plastic is too thick for pets with dense fur</li>
    </ul>
  </div>
  <div class="amz">
    <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CAQ7C8K/?tag=petcomn-20" data-amzn-asin="B00CAQ7C8K">View on Amazon</a>
  </div>
</div>

Tips for Removing Ticks

  • Always sterilize the tool before and after taking action. Remember, you are exposing yourself to harmful microorganisms as you dig into an open wound.

  • Clean the bite area the minute you remove a tick. You can clean the wound with an iodine scrub, rubbing alcohol, or soap and water.

  • Observe proper disposal of ticks. You can kill a tick by submersing it in rubbing alcohol or by simply flushing it down the loo.

  • Don’t panic if you’ve been bitten by a tick. Not all ticks transmit life-threatening diseases but you may want to contain the tick that bit you so you can have a medical expert examine it.

Is There Any Other Way to Remove Ticks on Your Pet?

There are other ways for removing those pesky bloodsuckers on your pets, especially when you seem to lose count how many they are. Here are some suggestions:

1. Spot-on Treatments

Spot-on treatments contain concentrated chemicals that are applied between your pet’s shoulder blades to take effect. The chemicals are not meant to be washed off right after application, especially for non-waterproof formulations. These ingredients are effective at killing ticks of all life stages, as well as preventing a re-infestation for a certain period.

2. Medicated Shampoos

Bathing your pooch with a medicated shampoo is an inexpensive method of keeping pests at bay, especially during the peak tick season. However, the protection won’t last as long compared to spot-on treatments.

3. Tick Collars

Tick collars contain active ingredients that kill ticks on contact. Similar to spot-on treatments, it leaves a continual presence of active ingredients on your dog’s skin and coat. It kills every tick that lands on your pet.

Takeaway

Farming ticks from your dog isn’t a fun hobby, especially during spring and summer where they are rampant. They emerge from their hiding places and continue their search for food. These little buggers look nasty and without the right tick removal tool, you might turn the tick into a tube of toothpaste – bursting all that blood and germs into your skin…or eyes if you aren’t careful.

The long and short of this is that you don’t want to handle a tick using your fingers but rather use the right equipment intended for tick removal. Also, we are strongly against using home remedies and DIY methods that many tick victims spread across the Internet, such as using string or dental floss. Such methods run the risk of cutting the tick in half and leave its head sunk beneath the skin.

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