The only thing worse than finding a tick on yourself, your dog or even your child is not being able to remove it immediately and cleanly. Increasingly prevalent across the United States, it’s not just the repulsive thought of these parasites sucking your blood that makes ticks one of the worst pests. Burrowing into the skin by inserting their mouthparts, they carry a number of very dangerous diseases, including Lyme disease. Quickly removing them limits the risk of infection but it’s important to do it carefully to avoid either crushing the tick which makes it regurgitate infected fluids into you or leaving its head embedded in your skin.
Other methods like burning them with a match or covering them with petroleum jelly don’t work. Using your fingers isn’t a good idea either. You need a special tick remover to help detach them from you or your pet as easily as possible.
Tick Twister Tick Remover
Twist and pull out ticks with this tool
Invented by a French veterinarian, the Tick Twister is a specially designed plastic hook that removes the tick by its head without squeezing the body which risks infection. Each pack comes with two sizes, a large one for engorged ticks and a smaller one for removing very small ticks. Once you’ve hooked the tick you lift and turn to remove it intact without causing the afflicted person or pet any pain.
The Original Tick Key
Unlock the secret to easy tick removal
This durable anodized aluminum tool removes ticks quickly and easily. You put the key slot over the tick, press down and slide it to pull the tick off without damaging it or stressing out your pet or person. Crucially, you can attach it to your keyring so it’s always with you when you spot a tick.
TickCheck Tick Remover Spoon
Takes out ticks but doesn’t lose them
This set includes three plastic tick remover spoons to remove ticks of any size as well as a waterproof tick identification card and a carabiner to secure them all to your bag or pack. The deep notch on the spoon is designed to safely remove ticks from dogs, cats and humans with a simple technique that detaches them intact into the spoon so they aren’t lost for identification after removal.
Bottom line
You can trust Advnture Our expert reviewers spend days testing and comparing gear so you know how it will perform out in the real world. Find out more about how we test and compare products.
When it comes to tick removers, you need to buy one before you need it. Removing a tick as soon as you find it on you, your pet or a family member is important to limit the risks of catching one of the many very serious diseases this parasite can carry. As well as wanting to remove it quickly, doing it safely means not crushing the tick so a special tool is vital. All these removers work well but we would particularly recommend the Tick Twister Tick Remover. Its clever design means it can reach ticks wherever they are located and then remove them safely in seconds. Having two sizes means you shouldn’t come across a tick you can’t get out.
As quick removal is so important we also like The Original Tick Key as it’s made of durable metal and easy to attach to a keyring until you need it. Then when you find a tick, it's on hand to safely remove it with no fuss or complications.
