This Genius Product Removes Ticks Easily (and Safely) in Less Than 5 Seconds

If you’re ever tried to remove a tick by burning it with a match, you’re not alone. Chances are, you’ve heard this preached as a go-to method growing up, but it’s certainly not the most effective or safest way.

Although ticks are usually pretty harmless, their bites can wreak havoc on your body if you’re not careful in getting rid of them. Depending on the type of tick and the amount of time it latches onto your body, it can lead to an infection or illness, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For example, blacklegged ticks can transmit lyme disease in extreme cases. 

But for the most part, ticks are just annoying and a pain to remove. Over the years, people have sworn by various hacks to get rid of these little bloodsuckers, from pouring nail polish over them to suffocating them with petroleum jelly. (And yes, setting fire to them, too.) Tweezers can be an effective tool to use for removal, but the downside there is that they can be hard to keep steady in order to actually grasp onto the tick. But thankfully, there is a much better and safer way to remove ’em.

Enter: The Tick Key.

The Original Tick Key — $9.99

The Original Tick Key is a genius tool that removes these insects within seconds. Just place the key slot over the tick, apply pressure, slide forward and voilà. Thanks to its portable size, you can carry the Tick Key everywhere you go. This device is animal-friendly, too (dogs especially are prone to tick bites, and we must protect the doggos at all costs). 

What makes this device so unique is that it allows you to scoop up the insect without touching or squishing it. As a rule of thumb, it’s important to never crush a tick. If you do, and the tick is infected, you could potentially expose yourself to infected blood. 

To help protect yourself from future bites, the CDC recommends keeping away from “wooded and brushy areas,” where many ticks like to live. If the latter isn’t possible, this handy tool may be just what you need to protect yourself during your outdoor adventures.

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