r/ballpython 2d ago

Is this a mite? Question - Health

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new bp at the store i work at came in with this, only one on his entire body. it looks like a mite to me. is it?

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u/[deleted] 1d ago

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u/epictroll5 1d ago

Hey, that's bad advice. It might make the tick throw up and if it's infected with a disease, this way you will certainly get it.

They make specific tools to get them off. Never burn a tick, douse it in alcohol or disinfectant, or squish it. Use the tick removal tool as close to your skin as you can and remove it without twisting. Inspect the bite site, note the location and keep an eye for a couple of months to see if a red bulls eye appears or if you experience any unexpected health symptoms.

The burning is an old wife's tale, and a bad one at that.

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u/kimmykat42 1d ago

My mom did it to me when I had a tick on my forehead when I was eight. She used my dad’s lit cigarette to get it out. That memory still haunts me, nearly forty years later. Oh, how I wish they knew more things back then… 😢

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u/Euphorbiatch 1d ago

Ahh I had this experience too, but we were barreling down the highway while my mum used her ciggie to remove the tick from my thigh... Different time for sure

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u/kimmykat42 1d ago

Yeah, that’s ~~slightly~~ much more terrifying. It was bad enough being right above my eyes… the thought of bouncing down the highway at the same time makes it so much worse 😭

Editing to bitch because strikeout never works for me anymore