When feasible, it is preferable to use tweezers or a similar instrument to remove a tick rather than flushing it.
Overview of ticks: their characteristics and origins
Ticks are tiny parasites that feed on blood by biting humans and animals. Woods and tall grasses are examples of damp, shaded habitats where they thrive.
It’s crucial to understand that flushing a tick down the toilet won’t k*ll it because these animals can withstand extremely high or low temperatures—in fact, they’ve been known to survive boiling water!
Elements that Impact Ticks’ Ability to Survive in Water
One of the key elements affecting tick survival is temperature. For many ticks, this can be a d3ath sentence because the water that flows through home toilets is far cooler than what they are accustomed to in the wild.
They will slow down their metabolism and become more susceptible to desiccation, or drying out, which will probably also result in their d3ath if the cold sh0ck doesn’t remove them completely.
Ticks can, in fact, survive being flushed down the toilet. The issue is that they are incredibly hardy animals that can even manage to live in other situations that are thought to be “d3adly.”
They can cling on and eventually come back up alive even if you try to drown them with water.
Which methods work best for keeping bugs out of your house?
- When not in use, keep doors and windows closed. Open windows and doors are common entry points for bugs into homes.
- Install screens on doors and windows that are open. Most bugs are kept out of your house by screens.
- Regularly clear out debris both inside and outside your house. This is because a lot of paper or leaves in the yard might attract bugs, which can then hide and lay their eggs there.
- Apply insect repellent sprays or traps to all potential entry sites, including baseboards, window sills, and beneath doorways.
- Hire an exterminator to check your house for potential infestations, particularly if you live close to wooded areas that can have tick-infested flora like grasses or shrubs, or if you reside in an area where tick numbers are high in the summer.
