Pull ticks straight out with tweezers — nothing else works.

Fine-tipped tweezers. That’s it.

Grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible — right by the mouthparts, not the body. Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist, don’t jerk. If the mouth breaks off, don’t panic; just remove it like a splinter. Then clean the bite with rubbing alcohol or soap and water.

Everything else — matches, petroleum jelly, nail polish, freezer — is folklore that makes things worse. The goal is to get the tick out fast and whole, because Lyme disease transmission ramps up after 24 to 36 hours of attachment. Check yourself thoroughly after hiking: armpits, groin, scalp, behind knees. Tuck pants into socks if you’re in tall grass or woods.

The faster you get it out, the lower your odds of Lyme.