Tick Removal - Four Effective Methods: Unless you’re an entomologist, ticks should have no place in your life, or on your skin. Aside from the general stigma of ticks being “gross bugs,” they are actually very harmful. They survive by latching onto warm-blooded mammals and feed on their blood. Ticks can deliver a deadly payload of disease by burrowing their heads into the skin, a method that introduces their body fluids into their victims. It generally takes at least 12 to 24 hours of feeding before an infected tick can spread disease to its host - but don’t wait. If you see a tick, follow some of the ways mentioned below to remove them safely and avoid tick-borne illnesses such as Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, or Ehrlichia: