Not all ticks transmit Lyme disease.
Different ticks transmit different diseases.
If you know what kind of tick bit you, share this information with your medical provider.
If you’ve found a tick, don’t panic!
We’ve created this page to be a one-stop resource to help you walk through the next steps of removing, identifying, and testing a tick as well as keeping an eye out for signs and symptoms of Lyme disease or other tick-borne illness and, if needed, seeking medical assistance.
How to Remove a Tick Safely
Watch these video demonstrations for how to remove the tick:
TickEncounter (1 minute long)
University of Manitoba (2 minutes long)
Know What Kind of Tick Bit You
Different ticks carry different diseases. Learn about ticks in Indiana; the greatest risk of getting Lyme disease is from the blacklegged tick.
TickEncounter Resource Center Tick Spotters Program (“Know your tick, know your risk”): They provide free tick identification by email, usually within 24 hours, based on a quick photo of the tick that you upload on their website.
Download and print our Ticks of Indiana wallet card for easy reference.
Save the Tick and Get It Tested
If you’re wondering if you should or should not test, check out our tick testing page for more information about the tick testing debate.
There are several reputable tick testing labs, and ILC recommends the following labs: Tick Report and IGeneX.
Watch for Early Symptoms of Lyme Disease
Read through our list of early signs and symptoms of infection and bookmark this page for reference.
Seek Medical Attention and Be Your Own Advocate
Knowing the early signs and symptoms of a tick bite can be very important to get timely treatment before the infection has a chance to gain a foothold in your system.
Review late stage (chronic) Lyme symptoms in case of a delayed diagnosis.
Check out these resources on Lyme disease.
Learn Prevention Tips to Stay Tick-Safe in the Future
Take It with You
Download and keep this Tick ID card with you as a handy resource.
Your Support Matters
Was the information on this page helpful to you? Please consider making a financial gift to Indiana Lyme Connect to enable us to continue our work in providing tick bite prevention and Lyme disease education to citizens, patients, and medical professionals throughout Indiana.
Indiana Lyme Connect is an all volunteer 501(c)3 tax-exempt nonprofit. 100% of your donations advance the mission of ILC.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can ticks live indoors?
Ticks can make their way inside our homes in multiple ways, especially by catching a ride on the fur of a pet or person’s clothing/ gear, after returning back indoors from being in a tick habitat. But the blacklegged tick which carries Lyme disease cannot live very long indoors due to its inability to maintain its own body moisture. On the other hand, the American dog tick and Lone star tick can tolerate drier conditions allowing them to survive a few days to even a couple of weeks.
Can you remove ticks without tweezers?
The only safe method of removing an embedded tick is to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible and then slowly with steady pressure pull upward until the tick releases. This takes either the use of fine-pointed tweezers or a tick removal tool such as Tick Key, TickEase, or TickCheck Tick Removal Card. NEVER squeeze the tick because its germs can be squeezed into your body. NEVER use a match, nail polish, petroleum jelly, or alcohol as this irritates a tick and increases the likelihood of a tick vomiting its germs into your body as well.
Can I get Lyme disease if I don't have a rash?
Yes. Less than 50% of those diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease report having the tall-tale sign of Lyme disease–a bulls-eye rash. Part of this could be that the rash appeared in less visible places like the scalp or back of one’s arm or leg or that the rash came and went quickly before being noticed. But if after being in tick habitat, removing a tick, and/or experiencing flu-like symptoms along with either a bulls-eye or other EM rash, this is considered diagnostic for Lyme disease.
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