the female "deer tick" Ixodes scapularis
from above and below
This is what it left behind.
Yah, it's "tick" time. Just hearing the word gets me started with the heebie jeebies. I can feel them crawling all over me.
After I pulled this one off, I took a close look at it and went to the iPod app "Tick Doctor" for an ID. (Yes, there's an app for that- and it's free.)
It was a Deer Tick that took a bite out of me - a known vector for Lyme disease, Babesiosis and Ehrlichiosis.
Here are some recommendations about how to deal with embedded ticks:
Ticks must be attached for 24 hours for the bacteria to be transmitted. To remove feeding ticks, use tweezers; do NOT use nail polish, vaseline, matches - methods likely to make the tick regurgitate. Grasp the tick around the head with tweezers, close to the point of entry in your skin and pull it out very slowly. Disinfect the bitten area with antiseptic.
In case you get symptoms - write down the date and time the bite happened, and bring the information, along with the tick, to your doctor if you become sick.
My tick is in a jar... just in case.
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