I like to think that I have a loving and understanding attitude toward all creatures. Even spiders and snakes—fairly common phobias among people—don’t frighten me to the point that I take active steps to avoid them.

You could say I have a high tolerance for creepy creatures… but not for ticks.

No, as embarrassing as it is to admit, I wouldn’t lose an ounce of sleep if ticks disappeared from the world tomorrow and never appeared again. The thing is, they’re not just annoying (not to mention invasive and generally enough to make most people’s skin crawl), they can also be dangerous.

Ticks can carry debilitating diseases, including Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, so it goes without saying that they’re probably not the best guests for your home…

However, depending on where you live, the time of year, and whether or not you have pets, your chances of encountering ticks can be quite high.

So what should you do if you encounter one of these tiny insects within the four walls of your home? That’s the question you want answered, so without further ado, let’s get down to business…

Identify and isolate the problem.
You should try to identify the type of tick (whether it’s a deer tick, a dog tick, or a brown dog tick). If the tick is in a specific location, keep children and pets away from it until the tick is removed.