A Few Tick Misconceptions

Be mindful of your knowledge! Know the misconceptions and myths of ticks before running for the hills!

Do not attempt to burn, smother, or remove a tick from your skin using nail polish remover. This does not cause the tick to release and fall off. When ticks attach themselves onto their host they embed their mouth into the skin. They secrete a protein that hardens and acts like a mini concrete anchor. Because of this adaptation, a tick is unable to self release from the host. Instead, the best method is to pinch the tick off close to your skin and pull it straight out.

Ticks also don’t have heads. Instead, they have mouth parts, which is what embeds in your skin. Another common myth is that you will feel when a tick bites. This is untrue. In fact, when a tick latches on to its victim it releases a numbing agent to prevent irritation to the host to prevent them from being pulled off. So be CAREFUL and use your EYES. Ticks don’t fly or jump, so there is no need to fear an attack from above while walking in the woods. It’s better to pay closer attention to the ground in the forest. 

If you do find a tick on yourself, do not freak out. Carefully remove it, and save it in case symptoms start to occur. This will help doctors to better treat symptoms. They will be able to identify the type of tick that has bitten you. There is no need test the tick, unless for identifying source of symptoms, or IF other treatments do not work. 

For Tick testing in Michigan reference the Tick Identification and Testing in Michigan

It is truly important to educate the public on ticks to prevent misconceptions and misunderstandings.