View Full Version : Oil of oregano for tick removal?
A knowledgeable "Mountain Man" says that this is the safest and quickest way to remove a tick. Has anyone ever heard of this? It's used a bug-repellant, I know, and I know that tweezers and heat isn't advisable, but can't find any info on this use.
Oil of oregano is a general antibiotic so it would likely be good to treat the bite. I hadn't heard of it being used to remove the tick but it is potent stuff so it wouldn't surprise me if it did. Getting pure, undiluted oregano oil might take some looking for though.
If I may, I'll interject an unrelated story. I was visiting relatives in Greece and my mom had asked me to pick up some oil of oregano (there's a nice shop in Athens with all sorts of hard to find stuff) a well as some fresh mountain oregano (relatives pick it near the village where my grandfather was born). So I did of course. As luck would have it one of the bottles broke open in my suitcase, revealing its rather potent aroma. Of course I was selected to get the thorough hand search at customs. I was sent to a waiting area. People arrived after me and were called through ahead of me. After 45 minutes or so of this I am getting annoyed, but can't really say anything as a customs agent can really make things go bad for me. Finally I get called up to the search area. A rather large customs agent (doesn't help I'm a small guy) tells me to open all the pockets in my suitcase and then walks away. He returns and doesn't even mention the smell. He reaches into a pocket and pulls out a large plastic bag of handpicked mountain oregano. I promise it was oregano. I don't care who smokes what, but not only have I never smoked marijuana, I've never even smoked a cigarette. Anyway, he asks me what it is and I tell him. He asks if I have any food products. me: Only ouzo. Customs: What's that? me: Booze. customs: OK. We're done. He walks away, I zip up all my suitcase pockets and get out of there as quickly as my short stubby legs will take me.
The End
Good story, and even better point: it's not very useful if unavailable.
Hot Flash
04-04-2014, 20:49
A knowledgeable "Mountain Man" says that this is the safest and quickest way to remove a tick. Has anyone ever heard of this? It's used a bug-repellant, I know, and I know that tweezers and heat isn't advisable, but can't find any info on this use.
A tick key is the quickest, safest, and easiest way.
lonehiker
04-04-2014, 22:52
A knowledgeable "Mountain Man" says that this is the safest and quickest way to remove a tick. Has anyone ever heard of this? It's used a bug-repellant, I know, and I know that tweezers and heat isn't advisable, but can't find any info on this use.
Actually fine tipped tweezers is an advised method to remove ticks. I had never heard of a tick key so I researched it. It does appear to be a good tool also.
I've always just pulled the damn thing off with my fingers and killed it. *shrug*
Kerosene
04-06-2014, 12:40
I've always just pulled the damn thing off with my fingers and killed it. *shrug*The problem with using your fingers with deer tick mites is that, if it has latched on, you are highly unlikely to fully remove the head and have not fully dealt with the problem. You also run the risk of the tick regurgitating it's "stomach" back into your bloodstream.
Never had an issue before. Call it luck, but it has always worked for me.
Kerosene
04-07-2014, 08:33
Note that there are several outlets for oil of oregano listed on the 'Net from a Google search.
Note that there are several outlets for oil of oregano listed on the 'Net from a Google search.
The proper way:
http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/removing_a_tick.html
fredmugs
04-07-2014, 16:50
Seems to be a lot of tick removal "remedies" out there.
http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/tick.asp
Yeah, I will stick with the CDC...sorry for passing on another old wive's tale.
Meriadoc
04-07-2014, 18:49
If a substance makes a tick back out of a bite, don't use it. The reason is that the dangerous bacteria live in the tick. When it backs out, it may regurgitate all those lovely bacteria right into the bite. I believe using a burning match head has the same problem. Use the recommended methods. They're easier anyway.