Removing a tick and watching the site
A tick is removed as soon as possible after it is found: grip it close to the skin with tick tweezers, a tick card or fine-tipped tweezers and pull it out slowly and steadily – without oil, glue or nail polish. Then disinfect the site, note the date and watch the skin for several weeks. A spreading red rash (erythema migrans) or flu-like symptoms need a doctor. A vaccine, given by a doctor, protects against tick-borne encephalitis (TBE). This text does not replace a first-aid course.
- A few minutes; then watch for several weeks
Explained simply
Ticks are tiny creatures that wait in grass and bushes. When you brush past, they climb onto you and look for a warm, thin patch of skin – for example behind the knee or behind the ear. There they bite and drink blood. It usually does not hurt, so people often do not notice it at all.
If you find a tick, it is removed soon: grip it with tick tweezers, a tick card or fine tweezers very close to the skin and pull it out slowly. No oil, no glue, no nail polish. Then disinfect the spot and write down when it happened.
Ticks can pass on illnesses. So you keep looking at the spot for a few weeks. If it turns into a red patch that keeps growing, or you feel ill like with flu, you go to the doctor. There is a vaccine against the illness TBE, given by a doctor. This text does not replace a first-aid course.
How it works
A tick anchors itself in the skin with its mouthparts and sucks blood over hours to days. In doing so, pathogens can enter the skin. In Central Europe these are mainly Borrelia, which can cause Lyme disease, and the TBE virus, which can cause inflammation of the brain and its membranes.
The longer the tick feeds, the more likely Borrelia are transmitted. That is why it is worth removing it quickly. The TBE virus, on the other hand, can be transmitted shortly after the bite – quick removal does not protect against it, vaccination does.
When pulling it out, what matters is gripping the tick close to the skin and not squeezing its body. Oil, glue or nail polish are supposed to "suffocate" it but only irritate it and delay removal.
What really matters
After every time in the woods, in meadows or in the garden, check the whole body – including places you do not see straight away: the backs of the knees, groin, armpits, navel, behind the ears and, in children, the head and hairline. Young ticks are as small as a poppy seed.
Writing down the date and the body site sounds unimportant but helps a lot later: if a rash or fever appears weeks afterwards, the doctor can better judge the connection.
If a small remnant stays in the skin after removal, that is usually no cause for concern. Do not dig with needles. If the spot becomes very red, warm and painful, have it checked by a doctor.
Safety and limits
Erythema migrans is a typical sign of Lyme disease: a redness around the bite site that spreads over days to weeks and is often paler in the middle. But it does not appear in everyone. Fever, headache and aching limbs after a tick bite are also a reason to see a doctor. The doctor decides on treatment.
Severe headache with fever and a stiff neck, confusion or paralysis are an emergency: call the emergency number (112 in the EU, in Austria also 144). Ticks in the eye or ear canal are removed by medical staff.
Prevention
Long, light-coloured clothing, socks over trouser legs, staying on paths and avoiding tall grass make it harder for ticks. Tick repellents on skin or clothing help further but do not protect completely.
Austria is considered a TBE area; in Germany the risk areas lie mainly in the south, and the Robert Koch Institute publishes them regularly. Discuss with your family doctor whether a TBE vaccination makes sense for you. Tick tweezers belong in every first-aid kit for hikes.
Step by step
- 1
Find the tick
After being outdoors, check the whole body, especially the backs of the knees, groin, armpits, navel, behind the ears and – in children – the head and hairline.
- 2
Grip close to the skin
Place the tick tweezers, tick card or fine-tipped tweezers as close to the skin as possible, i.e. at the tick's head, not its body.
- 3
Pull out slowly
Pull the tick slowly and steadily out of the skin without jerking and without squeezing its body. With some tools a slight twist is part of the method – follow the manufacturer's instructions.
- 4
Disinfect
Treat the bite site with skin disinfectant and wash your hands. If a small remnant stays in the skin, do not dig with needles; if the site becomes inflamed, have it looked at by a doctor.
- 5
Note the date
Note the date and body site and take a photo if possible. Do not crush the tick with bare fingers; wrap it in sticky tape, for example, and dispose of it.
- 6
Watch for weeks
Check the site again and again for several weeks. A spreading redness, fever or flu-like symptoms are a reason to see a doctor.
Common mistakes
- "Suffocating" the tick with oil, glue or nail polish
- Squeezing its swollen body or yanking it out
- Leaving the tick in for hours until a special tool is available instead of using fine tweezers
- Forgetting the bite and not connecting a later rash to it
- Assuming the TBE vaccine also protects against Lyme disease
Quick view
Materials
Tick remover or tick card
Otherwise fine-tipped tweezers
Grip the tick close to the skin and do not squeeze its swollen body.
First-aid kit (household)
Skin disinfectant
Does not replace a first-aid course; check contents and expiry dates regularly.
Mobile phone
Photo of the site and note of the date
The battery drains quickly in cold and with continuous screen and GPS use.
Do not plan on it as your only means of navigation or emergency calls.
Suitable for
- Ticks on the skin of adults and children after woods, meadows or the garden
- Outdoors and at home
Not suitable for
- Ticks in the eye, the ear canal or other delicate places – get medical help
- Treating a spreading rash or fever after a tick bite yourself
Prerequisites
- Good light, and a second person for hard-to-reach spots
- A suitable tool in the first-aid kit
Safety
- This text does not replace a first-aid course. First aid is learned through hands-on practice under instruction. In an emergency always call professional help – via the local emergency number (112 in the EU) – and follow the dispatcher's instructions.
- See a doctor if, days to weeks after the bite, a growing red rash appears (often ring-shaped and paler in the middle), if fever, headache and aching limbs occur, or if the bite site becomes badly inflamed. Mention the tick bite and the date.
- No oil, glue, nail polish, alcohol or flame on the tick – this can irritate it and does not help. Do not squeeze its swollen body.
How it works
Ticks wait on grass, bushes and leaf litter and cling on when someone brushes past. They look for a thin, warm patch of skin and bite there. In doing so they can transmit pathogens, in Central Europe mainly Borrelia (Lyme disease) and the TBE virus. The longer the tick feeds, the more likely Borrelia are transmitted – so quick removal is worthwhile. The TBE virus can be transmitted shortly after the bite; only vaccination protects against it. The TBE vaccine does not protect against Lyme disease, which is treated by a doctor.
Advantages
- Simple, quick and possible with a small tool
- Early removal lowers the risk of Lyme disease
- The date later helps the doctor assess symptoms
Disadvantages
- Small ticks (nymphs) are easily overlooked
- Does not protect against TBE – that needs vaccination
Deep knowledge
Background
In its guides on TBE and Lyme disease, the Robert Koch Institute describes ticks as mainly active in the warm season, although they can bite earlier or later in the year in mild weather. Lyme disease occurs throughout Germany and Austria, TBE mainly in certain risk areas. A typical early sign of Lyme disease is erythema migrans, a rash that spreads around the bite site days to weeks after the bite – but it does not appear in everyone who falls ill.
There is no causal treatment for TBE, but there is an effective vaccine. The TBE vaccine does not protect against Lyme disease; Lyme disease is treated by a doctor and is easier to treat the earlier it is recognised.
Variants
- Prevention
- Wear long, light-coloured clothing, tuck socks over trouser legs, stay on paths and avoid tall grass. Repellents that work against ticks can help but do not protect completely. Check the body after every time outdoors – children and pets too.
- TBE vaccination
- Austria is considered a TBE area; in Germany the risk areas lie mainly in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, but also in other regions – the Robert Koch Institute publishes them regularly. The vaccination consists of several doses with later boosters. Discuss with your family doctor whether and when it makes sense for you.
Common mistakes
- "Suffocating" the tick with oil, glue or nail polish
- Squeezing its swollen body or yanking it out
- Leaving the tick in for hours until a special tool is available instead of using fine tweezers
- Forgetting the bite and not connecting a later rash to it
- Assuming the TBE vaccine also protects against Lyme disease
Limits and risks
- Does not replace a first-aid course or medical advice
- No details on vaccination schedules or antibiotics – a doctor decides
- Risk areas change; check current information from health authorities
Material alternatives
Derived from material properties: a substitute must have all relevant properties. Observe the notes on the substitute.
- Mobile phone
- Headlamp / flashlight, Battery lantern / LED light
Results come exclusively from structured entries. No improvised instructions are generated.
Sources
Robert Koch-Institut: RKI-Ratgeber Lyme-Borreliose
Transmission of Borrelia, erythema migrans, early removal of the tick
Robert Koch-Institut: RKI-Ratgeber Frühsommer-Meningoenzephalitis (FSME)
TBE transmission, risk areas, vaccination as protection
Österreichisches Rotes Kreuz: Erste Hilfe – Informationen und Kurse
Removing a tick as a first-aid measure