Plants & Wildlife · Reference · Basic
Ticks and Rabies: The Small Bites That Matter
Prevent tick bites, remove ticks the right way, and never wait out a possible rabies exposure.
This is for educational purposes only. Not professional medical, electrical, or safety advice.
Warning
No visible bite mark does not mean no exposure. With rabies, waiting for symptoms is waiting too long.
- 01
Prevent tick bites
Use an EPA-registered repellent, wear long sleeves and pants, and treat clothing and gear with 0.5% permethrin according to the label. Walk in the center of trails and avoid brushing through high grass.
- 02
Remove ticks properly
Grasp the tick close to the skin with clean, fine-tipped tweezers and pull steadily upward. Don't twist, jerk or squeeze the body. Clean the bite and your hands afterward. If mouthparts stay in, leave them — don't dig.
- 03
Skip the folk removals
No heat, no petroleum jelly, no nail polish — these make the tick regurgitate into the wound. Steady tweezers only.
- 04
Watch the following weeks
See a doctor if you develop fever or a rash in the days or weeks after a bite. Note when and where the bite happened.
- 05
Treat every rabies exposure as urgent
Bats, raccoons, skunks and foxes are the main U.S. rabies carriers. For any bite, scratch, or saliva on broken skin: wash the wound with soap and water for 15 full minutes, then get medical assessment immediately. Once symptoms appear, rabies is almost always fatal — but post-exposure treatment prevents it.
- 06
Respect bat contact
Bat bites can be too small to see or feel. If you woke up with a bat in the room, or a child or impaired person was alone with one, treat it as a possible exposure and call public health. Never handle bats bare-handed.