I found a tick attached. What do I do?

Stay calm. Most tick bites don't lead to illness. Take it out, write down the date, and this page will tell you what to watch for and for how long.

Emergency first

If you or someone has trouble breathing, throat or tongue swelling, fainting, or a severe whole-body reaction, call emergency services (911) right away. Don’t wait.

What you need

Fine-tipped tweezers (not the flat, blunt household kind)
Soap and water, or rubbing alcohol
A sealable bag or container if you want to keep the tick

No tweezers to hand? It is still better to remove it now with clean fingers protected by tissue or a glove than to leave it attached while you look for a better tool.

Step by step

Tick each one off as you go.

Grasp it as close to the skin as you canUse clean, fine-tipped tweezers and take hold of the tick right where it enters the skin, by the mouthparts rather than the body.Don't squeeze the swollen body. That can push more of its fluids into the bite.
Pull straight up, slowly and evenlySteady, even pressure, straight away from the skin. It may take a few seconds of firm pull before it lets go.Don't twist or jerk. That is what snaps the mouthparts off in the skin.
If part of it stays behind, that's usually fineTry to lift the remaining mouthparts out with the tweezers. If they don't come away easily, leave them alone and let the skin heal. Digging after them does more damage than they do.
Clean the bite and your handsWash both with soap and water, or wipe with rubbing alcohol.
Keep the tick, or photograph itSeal it in a bag or take a clear, close photo next to something for scale. If symptoms show up weeks from now, knowing which tick it was is useful to a clinician.
Get rid of a live tick safelyPut it in alcohol, seal it in a bag or container, wrap it tightly in tape, or flush it.Never crush a tick with your fingers.

Don’t try to make it back out

These are the methods people are most often told to use, and each one makes an attached tick more likely to release fluid into the bite:

Painting it with nail polish
Smothering it with petroleum jelly
Holding a hot match or lighter to it
Waiting for it to detach on its own

Takes about a minute. Nothing leaves your phone.

Which tick was it?

Narrow it down by size and markings. It shortens the watch list above.

Identify a tick

What each illness looks like

Symptoms, onset windows and treatment for every tickborne illness we cover.

Tickborne illnesses

Next time

Repellents, clothing and the tick check that catches nymphs.

Prevention

Common questions

What's the safest way to remove a tick?

Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick close to the skin and pull steadily upward without twisting. Then clean the area. Avoid folk methods like burning the tick or using petroleum jelly.

Part of it broke off in my skin. What now?

Try to lift the remaining mouthparts out with tweezers. If they don't come away easily, leave them and let the skin heal. Digging after them does more harm than they do.

Should I see a doctor after every tick bite?

Most bites don't cause illness. Watch for symptoms and contact a licensed healthcare professional if a rash, fever, fatigue, or delayed meat reaction develops. Seek emergency care for severe allergic symptoms.

How long do I need to watch for symptoms?

It depends on the illness. Published windows on this site run from about 1 day to 30 days after a bite, and a few conditions have no firm window at all. The timeline on this page counts them from the date you enter. A window closing is not an all-clear.

Is my bite log shared with anyone?

No. The log and any photo you add are stored only on your device and are never uploaded. You can download or print the record to share with a healthcare professional yourself.

Where this comes from4 sourcesShow

1.
Tick Removal (opens in a new tab) · CDC
Step-by-step guidance for removing an attached tick.
2.
Preventing Tick Bites (opens in a new tab) · CDC
3.
Tickborne Diseases of the United States (opens in a new tab) · CDC
4.
Alpha-gal Syndrome (opens in a new tab) · CDC
What alpha-gal syndrome is, symptoms, and its association with tick bites.

Educational information only. Not a diagnosis or treatment plan. The timeline on this page restates published onset windows against the date you entered; it does not assess your symptoms or your risk. For symptoms or medical questions, contact a licensed healthcare professional. See the full tick bite guide, alpha-gal guide, and disclaimer.