How do I remove a tick the right way?

Tweezers, grip low, pull straight. The CDC's instructions are to grasp the tick as close to the skin's surface as possible using clean fine-tipped tweezers, then pull the tick away from the skin with steady, even pressure, without twisting or jerking, which can leave the mouthparts in the skin. If the mouthparts do break off, the CDC says to remove them with the tweezers if you can, and if you can't, leave them alone and let the skin heal. After the tick is out, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with soap and water, rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer, then do a careful check for other ticks. Where the tick was attached, and for how long, are worth writing down.

Don't smother it, burn it or squeeze it. The CDC is direct: do not use petroleum jelly, heat, nail polish or other substances to try to make the tick detach, because those methods can cause the tick to release fluids into the skin. Don't crush the tick with your fingers. Don't twist it out. And don't wait for it to fall off on its own; the CDC notes that in most cases a blacklegged tick must be attached for more than 24 hours before the Lyme disease bacterium can be transmitted, so the sooner it's out, the better.

Dispose of it, watch the bite, skip the lab. The CDC's disposal options are to put the tick in alcohol, place it in a sealed bag or container, wrap it tightly in tape or flush it down the toilet. It recommends against sending the tick out for testing: the labs aren't held to the same standards as clinical labs, a positive result on the tick doesn't mean you were infected, a negative result can give false reassurance, and if you were infected you'll likely show symptoms before the result comes back. What matters is the next few weeks: if you develop a rash or a fever within several weeks of removing the tick, the CDC says see your doctor and tell them when and where you were bitten.

Tick bites here are mostly blacklegged (deer) ticks, and the New York State Department of Health notes that babesiosis, ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever are found most often on Long Island and in the lower Hudson Valley, along with Lyme. That's a good reason to take every bite seriously, remove it fast and keep an eye on the calendar. Bobby Bugs treats yards for ticks across Nassau and Suffolk; the treatment reduces the population in the yard and doesn't carry a guarantee, and the estimate is free.