Help Keep Ticks Out Of Your Home With A Handy Amazon Find For Easy Removal

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Ticks are among the most unwanted houseguests, and it's not just their spider-like appearance that makes them unsettling. They're notorious for spreading Lyme disease, but there are actually over a dozen disease-causing pathogens ticks can spread to humans. Dogs and cats are also at risk of getting sick from tick bites. Some pathogens can be transmitted in minutes, so it's important to remove them before they attach to skin. One way to make tick checks a little easier and keep them from entering your home with you is to use a tool like Tick Mitt: a reusable, microfiber mitt specially designed to remove ticks from people, pets, and clothing. It's chemical-free, so it's a good alternative for those who prefer natural pest control remedies.

The Tick Mitt can be a helpful tool to find ticks you may have accidentally overlooked before you even step inside your car or house, especially the pinhead-sized larvae or seed ticks. Thousands of seed ticks can occupy a small area at once, so the mitt can come in handy if you walk through a cluster. My dog once got covered in them within 30 minutes of being outside, so I know firsthand what a nightmare it is to remove them one-by-one. 

The reviews for the Tick Mitt are largely positive — 3.7 stars out of 5, with almost 1,200 reviews. One verified reviewer wrote, "These gloves find ticks that are so small you almost don't think it's a bug at all!" Another noted, "I appreciate being able to remove them off my dog in a way that doesn't gross me out." Not everyone was so impressed, of course. Many 1- and 2-star reviews felt the glove didn't pick up any ticks at all, which were later found during a visual inspection. Some reviewers stated that the product wasn't effective on their curly-haired dogs, in particular.

The Tick Mitt has a velcro-like fabric that can snag ticks as you sweep it across your body, clothes, and pets. In an interview with Insect Shield, the product's co-founder Olivia Abrams, explained that although the "patented fabric feels like microfiber... it has a specific loop size and thickness to where it can pick up ticks of all different sizes and life cycles." When ticks are questing — searching for a host — they extend their front legs, which have tiny hooks on the tips to latch onto whatever brushes past. The looped fabric grabs onto those leg hooks, removing the ticks from your skin and clothes.

Ticks can hitch a ride on gear, clothing, and pets and go unnoticed for hours. Reviewers recommend using the Tick Mitt just before you get into the car or step inside the house as a first line of defense. Gently sweep the mitt over small sections of your body, or your pet's, using overlapping passes. It may help to brush your dog or cat before using it on them, especially if they have thick or curly fur. After each pass, check the glove's fabric: Use tweezers to remove any ticks, transferring them to a container filled with rubbing alcohol to kill them. Once finished, place the mitt in its protective dryer bag and run it with your clothing on high heat for 10 minutes.

Although the Tick Mitt may be a handy tool, it doesn't work on embedded ticks. For this reason, always visually inspect yourself and pets even after use. If a tick bites you, avoid hacks like applying heat or using substances like Vaseline in an attempt to make it detach itself. Doing so can stress the tick and cause it to release fluids containing pathogens into the bite. Instead, use tweezers or your fingers to gently pinch the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible without squeezing the body. Carefully pull the tick out of your skin without using jerking or twisting motions so the mouthpart stays intact and comes out cleanly.

The Tick Mitt doesn't repel ticks either, so it's important to have a prevention plan in place each time you or your pets go out. Ticks live where hosts are readily available, whether that be a densely wooded area or your own backyard. Constructing fences, mowing the lawn, and keeping your yard free of debris are a few ways to help keep ticks out of your yard. Always use a repellent when visiting tick-prone areas. If you prefer to avoid harsh chemicals, you can make your own eco-friendly DIY repellent. Even if you use the best tick repellents available along with the Tick Mitt, you should always thoroughly inspect yourself and pets after being outdoors.