New Jersey • Tick Checks • Safe Removal
How to Check for Ticks and Remove Them Safely
The most powerful tick tool you own is not a spray or a repellent. It is the two-minute full-body check after coming indoors. Ticks are small, patient, and easy to miss, especially the poppy-seed-sized nymphs responsible for most Lyme disease cases. This guide covers exactly where to look, how to check kids and pets, what to do with your clothes and gear, and how to remove a tick safely if you find one attached.
Quick Guide: the 60-second version
- Check your whole body after every outing in tick habitat: yards, trails, parks, ballfields with brushy edges.
- Hit the hiding spots: scalp and hairline, behind ears, armpits, waistline, groin, behind knees, between toes, belly button.
- Shower within two hours of coming inside. The CDC recommends it, and it washes off unattached ticks.
- Tumble dry clothes on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks that hitched a ride on fabric.
- Remove attached ticks with fine-tipped tweezers: grasp close to the skin, pull straight up with steady pressure. No burning, no twisting, no folk remedies.
When to Check
Every time, not just after hikes. In New Jersey, the riskiest tick exposures are often the most ordinary: gardening, playing in the backyard, walking the dog along the brushy edge of a field, sitting on the grass at a ballgame. Blacklegged ticks are active whenever temperatures are above freezing, so this is not just a summer habit. Make the check as automatic as taking off your shoes.
Where to Look on Your Body
After hitching a ride, ticks wander before settling, usually choosing warm, moist, thin-skinned spots. Check in this order, head to toe:
- Scalp, hairline, and behind the ears. Part the hair and look closely. Ticks love the scalp, and hair hides them well.
- Neck, armpits, and waistline. Clothing edges are natural stopping points for a crawling tick.
- Belly button and groin. Warm and sheltered, a favorite.
- Behind the knees and between the toes. Low pickup points where ticks often start.
- Anywhere clothing was tight. Sock lines, bra lines, watch bands.
Use a mirror for your back, or ask someone to check for you. On yourself, run your fingers slowly over the skin as well as looking: a feeding nymph can be felt before it is seen.
Checking Kids and Pets
Children need a check after outdoor play, camp, and sports, and they will not do a thorough job themselves until they are older. Make it quick and routine, not scary: a fast head-to-toe scan while they tell you about their day. Pay extra attention to the scalp, behind the ears, and the waistline where shorts and swimsuits sit.
Dogs should be checked after walks and yard time, especially ears, between toes, under the collar, around the tail base, and in the groin and armpit areas. Keep dogs on a veterinarian-recommended tick preventive year-round in New Jersey. Cats that go outdoors need checks too, though keeping cats indoors is the safest option for them on every front.
Clothes, Gear, and the Shower
Ticks ride in on more than skin:
- Shower within two hours of coming inside. The CDC recommends this, and studies show it reduces Lyme disease risk, partly by washing off ticks that have not attached yet.
- Tumble dry clothes on high heat for 10 minutes. This kills ticks on dry clothing. Washing alone may not do it, since ticks can survive a wash cycle, so the dryer step matters.
- Check gear and backpacks. Ticks cling to daypacks, jackets, and blankets. Give them a shake and a look before bringing them inside.
- Consider treating clothing. Permethrin-treated shoes, socks, and pants remain effective through multiple washes and stop ticks at the pickup point.
Safe Removal in Brief
If you find a tick attached, remove it promptly. The CDC method is straightforward: fine-tipped tweezers, grasp as close to the skin as possible, pull straight up with steady even pressure, then clean the bite and your hands. Do not twist, jerk, burn, or smother the tick, and do not squeeze its body.
Our full step-by-step removal guide covers the details, including what to do if mouthparts break off, the folk remedies to skip, and how to watch the bite afterward: How to Handle and Prevent Tick Bites.
After You Remove a Tick
- Save the tick in a sealed bag or container with the date written on it, in case identification matters later.
- Write down the date and location of the bite on your body.
- Watch for symptoms in the days and weeks after: rash, fever, headache, joint pain, or flu-like feelings. Call your doctor if anything shows up, or if you are unsure.
- Know the timing. For Lyme disease, the CDC notes that in most cases a tick must be attached 36 to 48 hours or more before the bacteria can be transmitted, which is why finding ticks early through checks matters so much. Other diseases can transmit faster, so prompt removal is always the rule.
Laurie’s field note: I tell every customer the same thing: the check is free, it takes two minutes, and it catches the ticks that no spray ever will. Keep tweezers in the bathroom drawer where you will actually use them, and make the tick check part of coming home, like washing your hands.
FAQ: Tick Checks and Removal
How often should I check for ticks?
After every outing in tick habitat, which in New Jersey includes your own backyard, not just the woods. During peak season, from spring through fall, a daily check is a reasonable habit for people who spend time outdoors.
What do tick nymphs look like?
Blacklegged tick nymphs are about the size of a poppy seed, dark, and easy to mistake for a freckle or speck of dirt. If a dark speck on your skin does not wipe away, look closer with magnification before assuming it is nothing.
Can I feel a tick bite?
Usually not. Tick saliva contains mild anesthetic-like compounds, so the bite itself is painless. Do not rely on feeling; rely on looking and on running your fingers over the skin.
Does showering really help?
Yes. The CDC recommends showering within two hours of coming indoors, and research links it to lower Lyme disease risk. Showering washes off ticks that are crawling but have not attached yet, and it is a natural moment to do your full-body check.
Will washing clothes kill ticks?
Not reliably. Ticks can survive a trip through the washing machine. Tumble drying on high heat for about 10 minutes kills them. If clothes are damp and need washing first, wash in hot water and then dry on high.
What is the right way to remove a tick?
Fine-tipped tweezers, grasp as close to the skin as possible, pull straight up with steady even pressure, then clean the area. See our full removal guide for the complete steps and what to avoid.
Should I save the tick after removing it?
Yes. Seal it in a bag or container with the date written on it. If symptoms develop, having the tick can help with identification, and some health departments accept ticks for identification.
How long before a tick bite makes you sick?
It depends on the disease. For Lyme disease, the CDC notes that in most cases a tick must be attached 36 to 48 hours or more before transmission. Other tick-borne illnesses can transmit more quickly. Watch for symptoms for several weeks after any bite and call your doctor with concerns.
The Takeaway: Two Minutes That Matter
No product replaces the tick check. Make it a habit: come inside, check head to toe, shower within two hours, toss clothes in a hot dryer. Find ticks early, remove them properly, and watch for symptoms. And if you want fewer ticks waiting in your yard in the first place, that is a problem we can help with.
Trusted sources: CDC: About Ticks • CDC: Lyme Disease