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Warmer weather is here, which means tick season is in full swing. Like other creepy crawlies that feed on our blood and spread disease, ticks can cause a lot of anxiety, which has led to plenty of misinformation regarding how dangerous they are, how they find prey, and the best ways to get rid of them. Before venturing outdoors, read up on the most common myths about ticks.
1. Myth: Burning them works better than tweezers.
After spotting a tick latched to their body, some people make the problem worse by grabbing a lighter. According to the myth, burning a tick off your skin is the most efficient way to remove it—but Kirby C. Stafford, emeritus scientist of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, says this thinking is misguided. “Imagine trying to burn something the size of a sesame seed or poppy seed or smaller attached closely to your skin,” he told Mental Floss in 2018. In addition to being potentially painful and dangerous, this method also puts you at a higher risk of infection. According to a 1996 paper, people who had dealt with ticks using non-tweezer methods were more likely to contract a tickborne disease. People who removed them by pinching them with pointy tweezers close to their skin and lifting them off, as Stafford recommends, were less likely to get sick.
2. Myth: Swabbing them with soap is an effective removal method.
Continued below.
1. Myth: Burning them works better than tweezers.
After spotting a tick latched to their body, some people make the problem worse by grabbing a lighter. According to the myth, burning a tick off your skin is the most efficient way to remove it—but Kirby C. Stafford, emeritus scientist of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, says this thinking is misguided. “Imagine trying to burn something the size of a sesame seed or poppy seed or smaller attached closely to your skin,” he told Mental Floss in 2018. In addition to being potentially painful and dangerous, this method also puts you at a higher risk of infection. According to a 1996 paper, people who had dealt with ticks using non-tweezer methods were more likely to contract a tickborne disease. People who removed them by pinching them with pointy tweezers close to their skin and lifting them off, as Stafford recommends, were less likely to get sick.
2. Myth: Swabbing them with soap is an effective removal method.
Continued below.
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