Bites & stings
Tick Bites
Remove an attached tick promptly and correctly with fine tweezers or a tick tool, clean the area, and watch for a spreading rash or feeling unwell (possible Lyme disease).
When to call 999. You rarely need 999. See a GP if you develop a spreading circular or "bull’s-eye" rash, or flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, aching or tiredness in the weeks after a tick bite, as these can be signs of Lyme disease.
What to do
- Remove the tick as soon as you find it, using fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool.
- Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible.
- Pull upwards steadily and firmly without twisting or crushing it.
- Clean the bite area and your hands with soap and water or antiseptic.
- Note the date of the bite, and watch the area over the following weeks.
- Dispose of the tick, for example by wrapping it in tissue.
Avoid
What not to do
Do not squeeze or crush the tick’s body, twist it out, or use heat, petroleum jelly, alcohol or other substances to make it detach — these can make it release more into the skin and raise infection risk. Do not leave mouthparts in if you can avoid it.
Afterwards and while you wait
Watch the bite for several weeks. See a GP if you develop a spreading circular rash (which may look like a bull’s-eye) or become unwell with fever, headache, muscle aches or tiredness, as early Lyme disease is treated with antibiotics. Prevent bites by covering up and checking your skin after being in grassy or wooded areas.
Education and reference only. This is general first-aid information aligned with UK guidance, not a substitute for a hands-on first-aid course or professional emergency care. In a life-threatening emergency, call 999 straight away.
Answers
Tick Bites: frequently asked questions
What is the correct way to remove a tick?
Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick tool to grasp it as close to the skin as possible, then pull upwards steadily without twisting or squeezing the body. Clean the area afterwards.
When should I worry about a tick bite?
See a GP if a spreading circular or bull’s-eye rash appears, or you feel unwell with fever, headache or aching in the weeks after a bite — these can be signs of Lyme disease, which is treatable with antibiotics.
Related
Other bites & stings first aid
Sources
Where this is drawn from
- NHS — first aid
- St John Ambulance / British Red Cross first-aid guidance
- UK Health Security Agency (where relevant)
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