Help..small insect burrowing into my leg!

[Steve H]

I have just found a live insect burrowing into my leg ,I was walking in the woods yesterday if thats any help?
I is about 3mm in size with an orange rounded body and black legs!!
My fiance just tried to pull it out with tweeers but i presume its jaws? are still in my leg?

I feel sick seeing its legs burrowing in.
What should I do with regards to whats left in my leg and what the hell was it??

Thanks for any helpful replys!

Steve

[Pigeon feather]

It could possibly have been a tick? they are blood suckers and are attracted to the body heat of mammals, they lie in wait often on a stalk of grass and then latch on when a suitable host happens to walk by, they often do leave their mouthparts behind if not removed correctly which can lead to an infection so see if you can get them out! Yuk though it does sound horrible!

[Mwyalch]

It sounds like a tick.
Either cover it in vaseline so it suffocates and drops off or twist it off anti-clockwise. Try not to pull it off or part will be left and lead to an infection.

Hope I'm right and that helps

[AndyC]

Originally Posted by Steve H

I feel sick seeing its legs burrowing in.
What should I do with regards to whats left in my leg and what the hell was it??

Steve

I agree it sounds like a tick. When you start prodding them they do wriggle their legs and look like they are "burrowing in" but fear not, they are not going to bore a hole and disappear into you flesh, they just want your blood

The anti clockwise twist and gentle pull is the way to get them out. As for the bit left in your leg (the mouthparts) stop being a jessy and dig it out with a (sterile) needle.

Be aware of Lymes disease, watch out for a rash around the bite and a flu like fever. Don't panic it is rare

Andy

[jimfoxy]

Go see a doctor if you are worried about it. An antiseptic will be useful.

I agree with the twist method. After a walk in the woods, I always give myself a full check over for ticks. I once counted about 50 on me. They are usually very small and they take a while to dig in (depending on how tasty you are). I find that the quicker you get to them the easier it is to get them out by twisting with tweezers. The other method is suffocation as has been mentioned.

I found that after a while (years), they didn't seem to like my blood much anymore; not sure if that was my own immune system kicking in.

[jordanno]

i would go to a doctor right away get some antiboyotics and stuff how far did the the insect (or arachnid) go into your leg? because ticks would just stay on the top picering your skin and sucking your blood

[Venger]

Originally Posted by Mwyalch

It sounds like a tick.
Either cover it in vaseline so it suffocates and drops off or twist it off anti-clockwise. Try not to pull it off or part will be left and lead to an infection.

Hope I'm right and that helps

Covering them in vaseline doesn't help, the tick has enough oxygen to finish it's feeding.
The best way is to pull them out, either vertically or twisting them (see this thread for more info Tick removal.
Anything else and you could cause the tick to regurgitate into the wound, and if it's carrying anything bad you don't want that to happen.
Wipe down with an alcohol swab keep and eye on the bite - if in doubt visit your doctors.

More links:
LDF Tick removal
LDA Tick removal<covers both vertical and twist removal.

[Gaina]

Surgical spirit gets ticks off you - they shrivel up and drop off usually within 24 hours (drench a q-tip with surgical spirit and dab it on the ticks' body). Also good for cats and dogs if you're flea/tick treatment misses the odd stray tick.

[Steve H]

Thanks for the replys and very helpful they were too.
In the panic of discovering him I think we left his neck upwards in my leg so probably better pop to the docs in the morning do you think.?

Thanks loads for your advice!

Regards
Steve

[crispyambulance]

Originally Posted by Steve H

Thanks for the replys and very helpful they were too.
In the panic of discovering him I think we left his neck upwards in my leg so probably better pop to the docs in the morning do you think.?

Thanks loads for your advice!

Regards
Steve

What happened after this? Did you die? The same happened to me today, at work, oddly. I'd been camping, came back, washed, slept, went to work and found a bug burrowing into my leg. I tore it off and heard it click and am wondering about whether to go to the doctors.