A mum was left horrified after discovering a blood-sucking tick on her son's head following a day out at a popular beauty spot. Eleonora Ambus had enjoyed a sunny walk with her seven-year-old son at John Muir Country Park in East Lothian on Sunday, April 9.
However, two days later the youngster started complaining of an itchy head, at which point Eleanor found the tiny insect feasting to his scalp. Thankfully, the quick-thinking mum was able to successfully remove the ravenous bug with tweezers, Edinburgh Live reports.
She told Edinburgh Live: "My seven-year-old boy had a tick on his scalp, on Tuesday night. He had been at John Muir Country Park on Sunday and Monday and the first time he complained about an itchy sensation was on Monday.
"The skin was like a tiny weeny bump - it looked just like a spot. Then on Tuesday night he was complaining again, so I checked and I removed an actual tick. It was super tiny but I could see a few legs and a little oval-shaped body."
She added: "Now his skin looks like a crusty red round spot- He is absolutely fine. The crusty bit is a bit bigger and he said that is a bit itchy."
Anyone who suffers a tick bite should follow NHS guidance on how to remove it and keep an eye out for a rash developing. NHS Inform says: "Ticks are small, spider-like creatures which feed on the blood of birds and mammals, including humans. They vary in size, usually between 1mm to 1cm long. They have either six or eight legs."
They add: "If you've been bitten by a tick, you should try to remove it as soon as possible to reduce the risk of getting a tick-borne infection, like Lyme disease. This is a bacterial infection that causes a pink or red circular rash to develop around the area of the bite."
Ticks are generally found in woodland or moorland areas, but can exist anywhere there is wildlife and are especially common March and October. The most common tick in Scotland is the sheep or deer tick.
The creatures cannot fly or jump, but climb onto animals or humans as they brush past. You can find out more information here.
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