The Tickgripper

Many types of tick removal aids are already being offered. Why a new type?
In the past it was said, that a tick must be removed as quickly as possible, no matter how. Today we are more cautious. As quickly as possible? Yes, but please as cautious as possible too. Using the patented principle of the soft rotating gripper head the Tickgripper offers a method that is cognizant of these new insights regarding the careful removal of ticks.

What's so bad about squeezing a tick?
Squeezing ticks increases the risk of infection. The risk of infectious transmission when using customary removal tools such as tweezers, forceps and other rigid devices, even a fingernail, is increased if the upper intestinal segments or salivary glands of the tick are squeezed.

Should I remove the tick immediately?
Yes! Since the danger of infection grows the longer the tick feeds on your blood, we recommend removing the tick as quickly as possible.

What is the difference between the gripper heads?
The first Tickgrippers were delivered with a closed gripper head to surround the tick and remove it by rotation. For animals whose ticks, due to the fur, usually are discovered later and thus are larger, the green gripper head VET has a larger cavity. For the smaller ticks which are more common in humans, the wall of the white gripper head MED was reinforced at the tip to better grab smaller ticks.

What is the advantage of the open yellow gripper head?
It can happen that the spherical gripper head hides the view of very small ticks and consequently they are not grasped exactly in the middle of the gripper head tip. The result is an ellipsoidal movement when the tick begins to rotate, similar to loosening a skewed screw. Thereby the tick escapes the gripper head. The open, yellow gripper head provides a better view of the "surgical field" and thus allows an accurate grasping of the tick.

Is the open gripper head also suitable for removing large ticks?
In principle yes. But it might happen that, after turning out, the tick drops out of the gripper head. Therefore, the closed gripper head is recommended for removing large ticks.

The tick was not removed in my first removal attempt. What should I do?
It is normal that repeated removal attempts may be required with the tickSAFE Tickgripper, especially for very small ticks.

How can I prevent ticks from getting into the Tickgripper?
Only very small ticks can escape into the inside of the Tickgripper. To avoid that, dab the tick on an adhesive strip immediately after having removed it and stick the tick on a submission form or a piece of paper. Make a note of when and where the tick has bitten. Later you can send in the tick if the situation requires it.

Can I use the same Tickgripper for both humans and animals?
For hygienic reasons it is recommended that separate devices are used for humans and animals.

What is the life expectancy of  the Tickgripper?
Determined by the material the elastic force of the soft gripper decreases, especially if the Tickgripper is exposed to intensive insolation. Due to usage and storing this might happen sooner or later. An exact date of expiry cannot be determined.

Is the blood of a burst tick infectious?
Insofar the blood contains pathogens: Yes. However, sole contact with the skin does not transmit the pathogen.

Should one also send in animal ticks for testing?
As animals generally have greater contact with ticks it is more than likely that they will test positive for pathogens. Thus medical testing of animal ticks only makes sense if a serious tick disease is suspected.

Can one determine whether a tick is infections based on its size? ?
No, even nymph-stage ticks, so-called 'baby ticks', can be infectious.

How do I dispose of a tick?
It is very important that ticks be disposed of in an appropriate fashion in order to assure that they do not re-bite a new host.