Ticks are parasitic organisms that belong to the class Arachnida and share many similar characteristics as those of mites and spiders. The tick grows and matures through 4 cycles in its lifespan: egg, larva, nymph, and adult. During the latter stages, the tick will usually attach itself to a living host organism such as a human, mammal, reptile, or bird. The tick uses the host for a blood meal by embedding its head into the skin of the host with an anchoring system in its mouth. Due to the intrusive nature of the tick/host relationship, it is possible for a disease-carrying tick to spread illness to the host organism or to become the carrier of a disease from the host organism. The longer an infected tick is attached to the host organism, the greater the chance is of the host organism contracting an illness from the tick. Since the tick is likely to have a different host depending on the stage of its life-cycle, a single tick may spread disease to several host organisms in a lifetime.

If you find a tick on yourself or on your pet it does not neccesarily mean infection, however it is important to remove the tick properly and as promptly as possible. Be sure not to leave the tick head or any part of the tick behind because disease can still be transferred from an embedded tick head only. We have provided a checklist below for what to do when you find a tick:

• Grasp tick close to skin with tweezers
• Do not grasp body
• Do not squeeze tick
• Do not use any substance on tick
• Do not burn tick
• Pull tick straight out
• Use antiseptic on skin
• Disinfect tweezers
• Wash hands thoroughly
• If tick parts remain contact a doctor
• Always see a physician for possible diagnosis, testing and treatment
  (a Lyme literate doctor might be needed for Lyme, Babesiosis or Enrlichiosis)
• Save tick if possible
• Place in air-tight container or zip lock bag
• Place moist cotton ball in with tick (no alcohol)