TICK ATTACHMENT TIME EDUCATION
Updated: 2 days ago
Always fight back calmly, with confidence, by providing education.
Some doctors still say a tick has to be attached for 36 to 48 hours before it can pass on Lyme. That leaves people thinking there is no risk if the tick came off sooner, and that is not true. My own experience: one tiny nymph bite, and I had extreme symptoms in under 2 hours. My blood tests later showed RMSF, 2 strains of Babesia, Lyme and Bartonella.
There is a quick-view graphic with the key points at the bottom of this post.
WHAT ILADS SAYS
- The longer a tick is attached, the higher the risk.
- Lyme is not commonly passed on when a tick is attached for less than 24 hours, but the risk is not zero.
- Other germs carried by the same blacklegged ticks are known to pass on in less than 24 hours.
- Call your doctor right away after a blacklegged tick bite. Don't wait for symptoms.
- Fewer than 30% of people with Lyme in the US even remember a tick bite, so many people have no idea how long a tick was on them.
COPY AND PASTE THIS FOR YOUR DOCTOR
"ILADS (the International Lyme and Associated Diseases Society) teaches that the risk of Lyme goes up the longer a tick is attached, but that the risk is not zero even under 24 hours, and that other infections carried by the same ticks can pass on in less than 24 hours. ILADS recommends discussing preventive treatment with every person bitten by a blacklegged tick, using 20 days of doxycycline rather than a single dose. Please don't let attachment time be the reason to wait and see."
WHAT TO WRITE DOWN
The Bay Area Lyme Foundation suggests keeping a record of:
- The date of the bite
- The time the tick was removed
- Where on the body it was attached
- The town or zip code where the bite happened
Global Lyme Alliance also suggests taking a photo of the tick and the bite, and drawing a circle around the bite so you can tell if a rash spreads.
HELPFUL POSTS
New tick bite? What to do and what to ask for:
How to handle a tick bite:
Get your tick tested:
RELATED POSTS
Tick Bite Education
Different Types of Ticks
SOURCES
ILADEF - How to Handle a Tick Bite
ILADS - Lyme Disease Basics for Providers (updated 2026)
Bay Area Lyme Foundation - Tick-Bite Documentation and Information for Parents (2024)
Global Lyme Alliance - I Found a Tick on Me, Now What? (2023)
Disclaimer: Rise Above Lyme makes no claims about any possible benefit of using any product mentioned within this site. Always consult with your doctor before adding anything. The information shared is based on personal experience, years of accumulated researched resources from Lyme Literate doctors and polls conducted within Lyme groups from actual patient experience using these solution ideas.
Comments