# So, how do you dig the little buggers out? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 24, 2001, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957 "2001-08-24T18:08:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![flickerwolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/13edae/32.png) [@flickerwolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flickerwolf)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/1 "2001-08-24T18:08:08Z")
Ok, so I just got back from a woodland romp with my friends and discovered that I am a living feast of ticks. Needless to say I was not happy. I was bombarded with suggestions for how to remove them (“Smear butter over them and they’ll suffocate!!! No, wait, light a match and burn it’s butt!! IT’LL BACK OUT!!”) I simply took a bath and they all let go. After my liberation from the buggies, I began to wonder how Dopers might deal with this, had they not let go so easily. So, what would you have done? ---
**Author:** ![Zumba\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/779978/32.png) [@Zumba\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zumba_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/2 "2001-08-24T18:17:09Z")
Rubbing alcohol usually gets them to loosen up. I always heard that ticks take several hours to get a firm hold so getting them out quickly is easier. I hate ticks! They are like little blood sucking spiders. (Except they have less legs. And they aren’t spiders. But they kind of look like them.) ---
**Author:** ![Podkayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Podkayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Podkayne)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/3 "2001-08-24T18:23:05Z")
Actually ticks do have eight legs, like spiders. They are arachnids. I’ve always used the hot-object method–either a freshly blown-out match, or the hot edge of a lighter. ---
**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/4 "2001-08-24T18:23:27Z")
I used to take a little dollop of Vaseline and thoroughly coat the tick and the surrounding area. It would let go within a couple minutes. Whatever method you end up using, make sure it doesn’t involve yanking on the tick’s body. The tick’s body will separate from its head before its head will separate from your skin, so be careful, lest you snap it off and end up with a much bigger problem. ---
**Author:** ![Zumba\_The\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/779978/32.png) [@Zumba\_The\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zumba_The_Cat)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/5 "2001-08-24T18:27:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Podkayne \* > \*\*Actually ticks do have eight legs, like spiders. They are arachnids. > \*\* I never knew that. I guess I always just assumed they were insects. And I never looked at one long enough to count the legs. Arachnids huh? Now I just have one more reason to hate them. Gives me the creepies just talking about it. ---
**Author:** ![irishgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/8edcca/32.png) [@irishgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/irishgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/6 "2001-08-24T18:33:32Z")
yes, use vaseline! information gathered from my mother, who grew up in zimbabwe. apparently the lighted match thing is good, but only if you are sober, and not likely to burn yourself .and it’s kinda complicated for more than one tick, or in awkward areas. alternatively, you can get a litle gadget from some vetinary or medical stores. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/7 "2001-08-24T18:33:48Z")
The Master, through his minion **Jill** , has already answered this question. Let’s see if I can get it right this time: [http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mtickoff.html](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mtickoff.html) ---
**Author:** ![Von\_Erich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/d78d45/32.png) [@Von\_Erich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Von_Erich)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/8 "2001-08-24T18:39:57Z")
If you pull it out do not squeeze the body. This can force infected blood into you bloodstream and increase your chances of disease. Pull on the head if it is not that far in yet. ---
**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/9 "2001-08-24T18:59:19Z")
From what I hear, it is improper to try to suffocate or burn out a tick. The proper method is to grab them at the back of their head with a pair of tweezers and pull them out. [http://www.lyme.org/ticks/removal.html](http://www.lyme.org/ticks/removal.html) ---
**Author:** ![geepee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ebca7d/32.png) [@geepee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/geepee)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/10 "2001-08-24T20:14:12Z")
burn! burn! , smear yourself in lighter fluid and light it ok you will lose alot of body hair but hey it works, heh or get a bird / creature that eats them and let it have a nibble all over your body ---
**Author:** ![justwannano](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/7ab992/32.png) [@justwannano](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/justwannano)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2001, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/11 "2001-08-24T20:46:42Z")
I’ve always just pulled them off. I can feel them crawling so they aren’t on long. I just cannot feature having one on me long enough for it to suck more than a miniscule amount of blood, if any at all. We just pull them off the dogs. they always seem to have lots of them this time of year. Come to think of it they haven’t had many this year ??? ---
**Author:** ![kinoons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a698b9/32.png) [@kinoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kinoons)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 3:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/12 "2001-08-25T03:56:14Z")
Burning the tick, or trying to suffociate the tick, will excite the tick. That often causes the tick to reinject some of the blood it had sucked out, greatly increasing your chances to get sick… there are some items made for extraction (mini suction devices – leaves nice hickeys for those who want to fake getting some action) or a spork type device you can slide under the tick. If neither of the above are available, grab the little bugger as close to the head as you can and pull it out. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/13 "2001-08-25T14:09:04Z")
'Our poodle got some so we went to the pet store & they have a special tool to take them out. It looks like a fancy plastic fork. ---
**Author:** ![flodnak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/838e76/32.png) [@flodnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flodnak)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2001, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/14 "2001-08-25T14:55:02Z")
Well, usually I try to just take a tissue, but if it’s way up there, I’ll hold the kid tight between my knees, moisten a Q-tip, and… Oops. I thought you asked how to dig the little **boogers** out. Carry on. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/15 "2001-08-28T22:19:22Z")
Whatever you do, don’t let 'em talk to you. Tick talk is so tiresome. –Nott, the large ---
**Author:** ![Tedster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4491bb/32.png) [@Tedster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tedster)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2001, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/16 "2001-08-28T23:58:42Z")
Why are you so adamant about removing these creatures? Allow them to grow and become engorged with your blood. Killing them seems so melodramatic, if not downright cruel. ---
**Author:** ![Fern\_Forest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/71c47a/32.png) [@Fern\_Forest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fern_Forest)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2001, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-dig-the-little-buggers-out/77957/17 "2001-08-29T00:26:00Z")
I wonder if you can buy a little guillotine or maybe a tie a little hangman’s noose and kill those little suckers. Ooh ooh. Go get yourself and antlion and feed it, bwahahahaha. I hate hate hate ticks and other insects that grab onto you _shudder_