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Discovered Use Number 3 for Watchmaker's Tweezers

Tmuir

By Tmuir
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Tmuir Distinguished Member

Tmuir

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I'm assuming everyone here knows what use number 1 is, fixing watches. :D

I'm also guessing a lot of people here worked out a long time ago that watchmaker's tweezers are great for removing splinters, especially #4 for removing small metal swarf splinters, but I just discovered a new use for watchmakers tweezers.

Removing a tick from your ankle. :startle:

I live on a bush block and have for nearly 18 years and have never seen a tick before, until today.

I had just finished raking up and carting away the leaves on one side of my house and came inside for a drink and as I went to wipe the dust off my legs I noticed a grey splodge on my ankle and thought it didn't look like dirt so went and got my glasses and discovered I had a nice juicy tick attached to my ankle.

For those that don't know if you don't remove a tick ,or remove it incorrectly it can lead to an infection and worst case paralysis. The trick is you must remove it completely without squeezing it or breaking its head off embedded in you. I was lucky I must of spotted it pretty soon after it had attached itself to me as it hadn't completely burrowed in so after wiping it down with some alcohol I sat down at my watchmakers bench, turned on my LED lamp as bright as it would go and used my number 1 tweezers which were solid enough to grasp the tick firmly, but small enough to do it without squeezing the body and lifted the tick cleanly out. I was very pleased.

 

If you don't see me posting tomorrow you can guess I didn't remove it properly and I'm now paralyzed . :D

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Tmuir Distinguished Member

Tmuir

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1 hour ago, oldhippy said:

Burn its ass with a cigarette. They just drop off.

That requires someone to have a cigarette, there haven't been any of those in my house for probably atleast 15 years.

They also recommend against that now

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Flubber Watch Enthusiast

Flubber

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Yes, smoking is bad for your health as are ticks. Last year I got lyme disease from a tick bite that I had not even noticed. I saw the red blue ring and thought I got attacked by flesh eating bacteria. Luckily that was not the case and two weeks on penicillin did the trick. I don't think you get paralyzed from a tick bite but if you're unlucky you could catch TBE (brain infection) and that could partially paralyze you or even kill you if you're unlucky. However, you may get inoculated for that so that is a good idea.

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Tmuir Distinguished Member

Tmuir

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Not planning to go to the doctor at this point as I can't even see where it bit me, maybe I got lucky and removed it before it properly latched on, but will be keeping a close eye on it and will go to the doctor if I start to see any reactions, tick bites are pretty common in Australia, but rarely serious.

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Tmuir Distinguished Member

Tmuir

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6 minutes ago, oldhippy said:

Another way is to dab the little bugger with alcohol such as brandy, whisky, gin you get the idea.  

It did get this treatment before I used the tweezers, except I used 92% alcohol, that may of been why it was so easy to remove.

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Nucejoe Distinguished Member

Nucejoe

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10 minutes ago, Tmuir said:

It did get this treatment before I used the tweezers, except I used 92% alcohol, that may of been why it was so easy to remove.

So it must have been drunk by the time you commenced attack. 

Serious:   Dosen,t tic host communicable diseases?

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Tmuir Distinguished Member

Tmuir

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Ticks can have nasty side effects if you are unlucky.

I think the tick that bit me was a paralysis tick Ixodes holocyclus

But the government health website says as long as I removed it completely and promptly and don't develop any symptoms there is no need to go to the doctor.

 

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/tick-bites

 

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Nucejoe Distinguished Member

Nucejoe

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4 minutes ago, Tmuir said:

Ticks can have nasty side effects if you are unlucky.

I think the tick that bit me was a paralysis tick Ixodes holocyclus

But the government health website says as long as I removed it completely and promptly and don't develop any symptoms there is no need to go to the doctor.

 

https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/tick-bites

Useful to know.

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