In Australia, this is the latest advice on how to remove ticks:
Catalyst: Tick allergy - ABC TV Science A longer quote from the site:
"... remove ticks the right way?
Dr Andrew Ratchford
Yeah, if you squeeze the tick, that causes the allergen to enter the bloodstream, which causes the anaphylactic reaction. If you remove the tick correctly without squeezing it then you don't have those problems.
NARRATION
Unfortunately most of us instinctively do the wrong thing. So you have a tick. How should you remove it?
Dr Jonica Newby
Here's my tick. Now this is what most of us will do - we'll either scratch it off or reach for the household tweezers. Now this is precisely the worst thing you can do. As you remove the tick, you squeeze it and all its contents go straight into your bloodstream.
Assoc Professor Sheryl van Nunen
What they need to know is household tweezers are tick squeezers.
Dr Jonica Newby
So what should you do? Well, you should go to the chemist and buy a spray containing ether. So something like Wart Off, or Medi Freeze Skin Tag Remover. Place the nozzle conveniently over the tick and spray. Feels cold - freeze the tick, and wait about ten minutes for the tick to die. Once it's dead, you can just brush it off.
Assoc Professor Sheryl van Nunen
'Freeze it, don't squeeze it', would be our advice.
NARRATION
So that will kill the adults. But what about the tiny ticks? The little larvae or nymphs? Now these are my little larval ticks and for these I'm gonna use a cream containing permethrin. Now this is basically the same kind of cream as you get for scabies. Just rub that in. The ticks will all die and soon you'll be able to just rub them off.
Dr Andrew Ratchford
We dab them. Don't grab them."