Thursday, February 24, 2011

Kill Tick Nymphs

Pets and people are the targets of tick nymphs, which are in the second stage of a tick's life cycle. Nymphs have emerged from the larval stage but are not yet adults. They typically live in wooded areas and attach themselves to passing humans and animals, burrowing into their skin and sucking their blood. While tick nymphs don`t roam in hordes like other tiny pests, when they do strike, their impact is potentially disastrous. Ninety percent of all infectious tick bites are from those in the nymph stage of development, meaning you'll want to move promptly to remove a tick from skin and kill it.








Instructions


1. Grab the tick`s head or body with small tweezers.


2. Slide the tick out of the skin firmly in a straight pull. Don`t twist the tick or it might break off in the skin.


3. Put the tick nymph into a container and seal it. You could also flush the tick down a toilet, but a doctor might want it for testing if the bite victim later becomes sick. The tick eventually dies in the container, but you can speed the process by putting ear alcohol, Frontline or Advantage in the container. Frontline and Advantage are commercial repellents.


4. Wash the wound with water and soap; wash your hands. Clean the area of the skin with rubbing alcohol.


5. Pay attention for any signs of infection or illness. Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever can result from bites from ticks that are at the nymph stage.

Tags: bites from, Frontline Advantage, nymph stage, tick nymphs