Tick talk – What to do if you get bitten
Posted on 19 May 2025
May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month, and Dr Selene Huntley, Advanced Healthcare Scientist at Public Health Scotland, shares what Lyme disease is, how it can be prevented by being tick aware, and how to spot symptoms if you have been bitten.
We’ve had fantastic sunny weather in Scotland recently, and it’s provided some great opportunities to get walking, wheeling and generally spending time outdoors!
There are lots of mental and physical benefits from getting into nature. However, if you are going out into the countryside, it's important to be aware of ticks as they have the potential to spread Lyme disease - a bacterial infection which is spread to humans by infected ticks.
Ticks are small, spider-like beasties that live in outdoor green spaces, and are active from spring through to autumn.
Ticks attach to and feed on blood from birds and mammals, including humans. You might not feel it when you get a tick bite, so it’s easy not to notice when you have a tick attached to your skin.
Cases of Lyme disease are on the rise across Scotland, and while the condition is treatable, it can sometimes become serious if not caught early.
Relative sizes of different tick life stages compared to a human thumbnail.
What can we do to avoid ticks?
To reduce the chance of a tick attaching to you, you can:
- Wear long sleeves and trousers, tucking your trousers into your socks
- Stick to the main paths
- Use insect repellent
Remember to check your skin thoroughly after being outdoors, particularly if you have been in grassy areas, woodlands or, for some areas of Scotland, even your garden. The quicker you find and remove a tick, the lower your chances are of getting unwell.
How to remove a tick safely
If you do discover a tick attached to you or someone who you’re with, don't panic!
Use a removal tool or fine-tipped tweezers
Removing attached ticks properly and quickly greatly reduces the likelihood that they can pass the bug that causes Lyme disease on to you.
Removal tools shaped like a little claw hammer (tick twisters) or a credit card (tick cards) are generally the easiest to use.
If you don’t have a removal tool, you can also use fine tipped tweezers to lift the tick up and off the skin. It’s important not to squeeze the tick’s body when removing them.
It’s a good idea to crush any removed ticks and dispose of them safely so that they cannot reattach to yourself or anyone else.
What are the symptoms of Lyme disease?
The most common signs of Lyme disease in its early stages include:
- a red, circular rash on your skin
- cold or flu-like symptoms such as tiredness, headaches and muscle and joint pain
The symptoms of Lyme disease tend to be mild and, if detected early, respond very well to a course of antibiotics. If early symptoms are missed or ignored, it’s more likely that longer-term symptoms will develop.
By following this advice, you can feel reassured that you and your loved ones can minimise the risk from ticks and spend quality time outdoors in Scotland.
For more information about staying healthy outdoors, read our Spring blog.
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