Home >> Science & Nature >> Insects & Science

How to Drown a Tick

Ticks are not insects but actually members of the arachnid family, along with spiders and scorpions. The tiny creatures suck the blood of their victims. They cannot jump or fly. Instead, ticks wait in brush for a victim to pass and then latch onto the victim. Ticks afflict humans and pets alike. They carry a variety of diseases, such as Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Remove and dispose of ticks immediately.

Things You'll Need

Tweezers
Rubbing alcohol
Tissue

Instructions

- 1
  Grasp the tick with tweezers. Pull gently to remove the tick.
- 2
  Drop the tick in a bottle of rubbing alcohol. Ticks can drown. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, they have tiny lungs and require little air. Small bubbles allow the tick to stay alive in normal water, but if you drop the tick into alcohol, the alcohol fumes add to the liquid and cut off the tick's oxygen supply.
- 3
  Wrap the tick in a tissue and flush it down the toilet. If alcohol isn't available, the flush method disposes of the tick. Flushing may not drown the tick, but it cuts off the ticks supply of food and the tick will die.

Insects & Science