Did I get all this tick out?

[Halfblindbunny]

Turns out a tick has been drinking the blood from my more than ample rear end. I didn't know it was a tick when I pulled it out, thought it was some sort of bit of plant as I had been gardening. Is that it's head? Did I get it all out?

Is he symmetrical? I can't quite tell from the picture.

I think so, I think I damaged one front leg when I pulled him off (that sounds wrong but you know what I mean)

I think as long as the head and mouth parts are out then it's fine, and that looks like the mouth parts in the photo? What does the bite site look like, any debris left there?

I removed a tick recently, and it was still
moving 😭. Was yours still moving?

It does look like you got the mouthparts.

He looks fine to me.

It's legs were moving a little bit.

It just looks red and swollen and is now very itchy but the position makes it hard to get a proper look.

Sounds good that it was still moving.

Mine was red for a day or so - I gave it a good wash, and put some Savlon on it.

I'm hugely paranoid about getting another one now.

Yes, their head is a bit like a ladybird's I always think, so looks like you've got it all.

Where did you get it from? How did you see it on your bum?

Can you use your phone to take photos and then zoom in on the pics to make sure the bite area looks clear/nothing black still there? It does seem like it’s likely all there from your photo

Looks complete to me. We get them most days during the summer - just pulled two off DH - he was mowing the lawn this afternoon.

Ticks love me too but I’m grateful not to have got bitten on my arse.

get a photo to check nothing is left, although I’ve left bits in the past with no problem, they tend to work themselves out pdq as the bites are so itchy. More importantly check for bullseye redness just in case - you’ll need to keep an eye on it for a week or so - and be wary of any flu like symptoms. Lyme disease is a bastard.

No idea where he came from, he wouldn't say. I saw him on my bum as we have mirrored wardrobe doors and I was getting ready for a bath.

Ah that makes sense. I knew you had to get the head but I wasn't sure if that was his head if you see what I mean.

Sorry, I've just been reading about how they are becoming more widespread. I didn't realise people were getting them in their own gardens in the UK. I got one on a walk in the Lakes and it snapped off. It was absolutely tiny.

I'm assuming the garden although potentially the dog could have bought it in I suppose.

I have lived in the Purbeck area in Dorset for 40 years; we've picked up ticks the whole time we've been here - I used to inspect the DCs every evening before bed when they were small. We get them in the garden, out walking, sitting on the grass having a picnic...😟There are loads of deer around here, they are supposed to be how the ticks are spread.
I know several people who have had Lyme's, but given how easy it is to be bitten here the disease can't be common (unless perhaps we are very alert in Purbeck and find the ticks before they can infect us).

From 2019 "Purbeck has the highest number of Lyme disease cases in the UK, a study has revealed. The study found the local authority had 3.13 cases per 100,000 each year."

If you have a partner, and if not then a mirror, have them check the bite area for the next couple of weeks. If there is a circular rash spreading out from it then get to the doctor quick for some antibiotics to prevent Lyme disease from developing.

But unfortunately, not every case of Lyme is preceded by the red rash. I used to get bitten by ticks quite a bit due to lots of forest walking. I had the rash once and zapped it, but five years later I got neurological symptoms that turned out to be Lyme and I hadn't had the rash.

Complicating matters further, there is a lot of fake news around Lyme. A few months after my episode was cleared up (with IV antibiotics) I went to see a new doctor about a completely different matter. He asked about my recent medical history, and when I mentioned Lyme his eyes narrowed and he said "Oh yes, who diagnosed that if I might ask?". I told him the name of the consultant neurologist and he was all smiles, but he did add "You wouldn't believe the amount of fake Lyme crap from Facebook we have to put up with".

PS: Pedantry corner: It's "Lyme disease", not Lyme's. There was doctor or index patient called Lyme. It's named after the town of Lyme, Connecticut where it was first isolated.

I dont know if you'll find this interesting (!) I found out that although deer can help ticks move and spread, the deer themselves are immune to lyme disease and can "cleanse" infected ticks, which reduces the spread and movement of lyme infected ticks 🤯