A tick is a small arachnid that feeds on the blood of animals and humans, and its bite carries the risk of transmitting various disease-causing pathogens. Finding one attached often creates an urgent need to remove and dispose of the pest safely. A common reaction is to flush the tick down the toilet, assuming the water will eliminate the threat. This article addresses the effectiveness of flushing for killing a tick and provides reliable alternatives for both removal and disposal.
Tick Resilience and the Flushing Question
Flushing a tick down the toilet is not a reliable method for ensuring the pest is killed before it enters the sewage system. Ticks possess biological adaptations that allow them to survive submerged in water for extended periods, stemming from a specialized respiratory system that does not rely on atmospheric oxygen.
Ticks are known to survive underwater for several days; some species, like the Lone Star tick (Amblyomma americanum), can survive up to 70 days in fresh water. This survival is aided by a plastron, a thin layer of air trapped against the body by hydrophobic hairs and a waxy outer coating. This layer allows the tick to extract dissolved oxygen from the water, enabling a form of underwater breathing.
The brief trip through the turbulent water and pipes of a toilet flush is unlikely to cause physical damage or drown the tick. A flushed tick may survive the journey through the plumbing and potentially re-enter the environment through a septic system or wastewater treatment overflow. Relying on flushing alone does not guarantee the tick is neutralized or that it cannot pose a future risk.
Safe and Effective Tick Removal Techniques
Before considering disposal, it is important to remove an attached tick correctly to minimize the risk of disease transmission. The goal is to detach the entire tick, including its mouthparts, without causing it to regurgitate stomach contents into the bite wound. The use of fine-tipped tweezers is the recommended tool for this delicate procedure.
Grasp the tick as close to the skin surface as possible, ideally by the head or mouthparts, rather than squeezing the tick’s body. Applying pressure to the body can force infectious fluids back into the host. Pull upward with a slow, steady, and even pressure, avoiding any twisting or jerking motions, which can cause the mouthparts to break off and remain embedded in the skin.
After successful removal, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water. Never attempt to remove an attached tick using folk remedies like burning it, covering it with petroleum jelly, or painting it with nail polish. These methods can irritate the tick, causing it to release more fluid, which may increase the chance of pathogen transmission.
Recommended Methods for Complete Tick Disposal
To ensure a tick is completely eliminated and cannot reattach to a host or escape into the environment, several reliable methods guarantee mortality. One effective and accessible method is to submerge the tick in a container of rubbing alcohol, specifically isopropyl alcohol with a concentration of 70% or higher. The alcohol rapidly desiccates and kills the arachnid, often within minutes.
Another disposal technique is to seal the tick tightly within multiple layers of adhesive tape, such as clear packing or duct tape. The tick should be completely immobilized and flattened between the layers, making escape impossible once the tape is folded over itself and discarded. Alternatively, placing the tick in a sealed bag or container and putting it into a freezer for at least 24 hours will effectively kill it.
In cases where a person develops symptoms of illness or a rash after a bite, preserving the tick for identification or disease testing may be useful. For preservation, place the tick in a small, sealed plastic bag or jar with a slightly moistened cotton ball or piece of paper towel, and then store it in a freezer. Using these definitive methods avoids the uncertainty associated with simply flushing a resilient pest.