Collection and Storage System
Tickeeper is a simple collection and storage system; it comes complete with tweezers and specimen bags for storing a tick with collection data. Simply remove the tick; place in specimen bag; record collection data on bag; securely close bag and place inside Tickeeper box. Store Tickeeper box in your freezer. If symptoms of a tick-borne illness develop such as rash, fever, headache, call your medical professional and take tick to medical professional for testing.
Save and TeST
Our Story
I want you to keep that gross and disgusting tick. And here is why…. my dad spent months in the hospital in the summer of 2013. He fell ill suddenly with a high fever, nausea and severe headache, and the doctors were not able to determine the cause. As his platelet numbers dropped and his organs began to shut down, we began a painstaking review of his movements before he’d become sick. He had not been out of the country; he had not eaten anything out of the ordinary. He had not been in an accident. In fact, the only thing he had done was to cut the grass. And oh, yes, he had been bitten by a tick while cutting the grass. The doctors asked if our dad had kept the tick. “Of course not!” we said – which turned out to be unfortunate because if he had, the doctors could have tested the tick and may have been able to diagnose his illness more quickly. Our dad recovered - his kidneys, however, did not, and he remained on dialysis until he died in 2020.
Our family has been sharing what we learned ever since. If persons (or pets!) are bitten by a tick, keep the tick for testing and store it in your freezer. Until recently, we kept ticks in plastic bags or glass bottles in our freezer (and, of course, scrambled to move them when guests came). But, now we have a better system. And that system is the Tickeeper. The Tickeeper box is secure, complete with tweezers and individual bags for saving ticks and recording details about the place and date of collection, and best of all, allows you to easily store ticks along with your ice cream without wincing when you open the freezer. If you or a pet is bitten by a tick, remove the tick as soon as possible by grasping the tick close to the skin and pulling upward. Place the tick in one of the plastic bags provided, securely close the bag, put the bag in the Tickeeper box, and store the entire box in the freezer. You never need to replace the Tickeeper box-only the plastic bags. If you develop symptoms of a tick-borne illness (such as among other things, rash, headache, fever, chills, fatigue, muscle and joint pain), promptly seek medical attention and bring the tick (in your Tickeeper box) with you. If you do not develop symptoms, dispose of the tick (but not your Tickeeper box) by placing the plastic bag in the daily trash.
SAVE AND TEST !!
