ODNR Division of Wildlife - Wild Resources - Ticks

Tick Myths

Sort out the facts from legend with these tick myth busters.

Myth: The tick-borne disease's official name is "Lime's disease."
Truth: No, it is Lyme disease named after the town Old Lyme, CT.

Myth: Ticks jump from trees onto passing hosts.
Truth: Ticks are rarely found higher than your knees on plants, and blacklegged ticks can't see at all the "time the jump."

Myth: You can get Lyme disease from a mosquito bite.
Truth: You get Lyme disease only from a blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) bite.

Myth: A hot match, fingernail polish, rubbing alcohol or petroleum jelly cause ticks to back out of skin.
Truth: None of them work, ever, and they may be dangerous. Pull the tick off using tweezers; grasp it close to the skin and pull up slowly.

Never use a match, nailpolish, rubbing alcohol, or petroleum jelly to try to remove a tick.