Native to Australia, tea tree oil has been used by aborigine tribes for thousands of years. They chewed the leaves of the Melaleuca alternifolia to release their medicinal properties. The oil of the leaves helps in the healing of cuts, burns, insect bites and skin ailments. Tea tree oil works as a mild anesthetic when applied to minor wounds. When the oil is applied to a tick, it can cause the tick to loosen its grip and allow you to easily remove the embedded tick with its head still attached to its body.
Step 1
Place two or three drops of tea tree oil on the tick's body. Allow some of the oil to land on the skin where the tick has attached itself. Wait two minutes before removing the tick.
Step 2
Carefully grab the body of the tick with the tweezers and pull slowly and steadily until the tick releases its grip.
Step 3
Apply two or three drops of tea tree oil to the removal site with a cotton ball to disinfect and help promote healing.
Things You'll Need
- Fine-pointed tweezers
- Cotton balls
References
- Molly's Herbals: Tea Tree Oil
- Tea Tree Oil: Ticks and Fleas Tea Tree Oil Treatment
- British Hedgehogs Preservation Society: First Aid for Hedgehogs
- "Australian Tea Tree Oil First Aid Handbook: 101 Plus Ways To Use Tea Tree"; Cynthia Olsen; 1999
- MayoClinic.com: Tea Tree Oil -- Melaleuca Alternifolia
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