The first time I saw one of these videos on TikTok, I couldnt bear to look too closely.
They almost looked like ticksbut not ticks.
I flicked the video away, not wanting to see it in any more detail.
If I had zoomed in, though, I would have noticedwhythe lumps didnt quite look like ticks.
Yep, TikTokers (TickTokers?)
(Hashtag: #tickremoval.)
Often, they cant.
Some are more convincing than others.
After seeing a few that made me go wait a minute…
I returned to the man at the doctors office.
I zoomed in on his leg.
Those were definitely raisins.
Its still beans, though.
Do ticks actually embed themselves in peoples skin?
Yes, unfortunately, this part is true.
Youcan remove an embedded tickwith tweezers or with a tick removal gadget.
(I always keep aTickKeyin my first aid kit.)
Do ticks really look like that?
After it attacheshours later, by the wayit begins to feed and fills (engorges) with blood.
At that point, its roughly the size and shape of a bean.
When its full, it will drop off.
Can you get that many ticks on you all at once?
That and checking yourself every night, and removing any ticks you find.
Most animals can groom the ticks off themselves, but moose seem to have trouble with this.
Winter ticks arenot a threat to humans.
What if you stumble into a tick nest?
Tick nests arent really a thing.
How do weknowthese TikToks arent actual ticks?
They look like beans!
They act like beans!
Often when the TikToker pulls them off, you could see the glue that was holding them on.
These are beans beans beans beans beans.
(Except when theyre raisins.)
You wouldnt at least help your friend get out of the creek?
The doctors office video was nicely done, but it still raises too many questions.
Why does he have a pulse ox on the whole time?
I do appreciate the creativity of some of these videos.
(Do not google bot fly larvae.)
These are gross-out videos, folks.
If you have trypophobia (the fear of holes or bumps), these will trigger it.
Its really a wholesome hobby, if you think about it.
Just dont think it represents anything that happens in nature.
