How To Keep Ticks Out Of Your Home Using A Simple Overlooked Solution

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Keeping ticks out of your home is essential, as a bite from the insects can change the course of your life. Both humans and pets can catch Lyme disease from tick bites, symptoms of which can range from local itchiness and muscle stiffness, all the way to long-term problems like arthritis and vision loss. While not all ticks carry Lyme disease, it's not worth the risk of letting any of them into your home. You can keep ticks away with DIY repellents, but some might still slip through. So, there's an overlooked way to keep ticks from coming inside after spending time in the yard, or following a hike: Just use a lint roller. 

Popular TikToker brunchwithbabs recommended this smart way to use a lint roller to her followers. Simply keep one in the car or near your back door. Roll it over your entire body before you go inside, including both your clothes and exposed skin, too. Pay special attention to places that ticks are more likely to be hiding, including around your socks, behind your knees, and even in your hairline. Use firm pressure when rolling; if there is a tick, the goal is that the stickiness of the lint roller will pull it right off you. 

Having a designated tick-roller handy makes this overlooked solution even easier to complete. The Albatross Health Mini Lint Rollers for Travel is small, making it simple to keep it in your purse or car. This way, you don't have to enter your house to grab the lint roller — potentially granting the tick access while you're rustling around looking for the tool. Look for one that is extra sticky as well, so it has a better chance of pulling the tick off of your clothing or skin. 

Unfortunately, however, this trick will not work if the tick has already bitten you. It's only for ticks lying in wait on you, hoping to cause a tick infestation in your beds or other furniture. While you might not feel the bite initially, ticks then burrow into your skin. You'll need something stronger and more precise, like tweezers, to get them out once that happens. If you do catch the tick before it bites, you might be tempted to just peel the sheet off the lint roller, wad it up to crush the tick, and throw it all away. However, crushing the tick can also expose you to disease from its insides. Instead, carefully fold up the sheet to suffocate the tick, or bag it up, paying special attention not to let it touch your hands.