How do you tell a tic from a small spider?

OK I'm a bit paranoid but was fortunate to have lymes disease spotted by a locum in the middle of London a few years ago . It's horrifying what could've happened if he was working somewhere else.
Anyway....I was pruning back the foliage around the letterbox and there was a being that looked a bit suspicious. Too many legs? Legs too short, evil? It looked different.
I know they don't all carry the disease but the tic that did it could only have been in my garden.

 

Adult ticks have 8 legs, tick larva only 6 Only be concerned about insects that bite or hang on. Wear gloves and long overlapping sleeves. When in habitat, check regularly. Many deer carry ticks, as can sheep, dogs, cats, foxes etc.
When in doubt, its a tick until proven not.
Seek qualified advice promptly.

 

Here's what the rash looks like

I don't think doctors in central London especially away from deer parks expect to see or are familiar with Lymes disease. I was fortunate in having very white skin but it could be easily missed on darker skin.
I assume it's spread by foxes who probably range further than we realise.

 

I have had many ticks in the passed, 6 this year but all have been the size of a pin head and sometimes not noticed until the next day when starting to irritate.
All have been removed with the small pronged tick forks from the Vet's.
I see the rash in your pic is the tell tale bullseye suggesting Lyme infection, something I hope never to see!!

 

I'm looking this up and it seems the tick needs to be attached for 24 to 48 hours.
I get the feeling I'd spot it before that amount of time.

 

I never even saw the tic. TBH I'm always getting scratched band stabbed in the garden. I tend to ignore it unless I'm dripping blood.
Just keep an eye out for it.
Strong antibiotics will sort it if it's got in time

 

I came in from the garden what ever it was crawling up my arm and I didn’t reqonise it got quickly dispatched.

I have read, in future if you have a tick is to keep it in clingfilm as the doctor or hospital may want to send it away to be tested for limes disease makes a change from a water sample lol

my friend Linda from work went the new forest and was covered in ticks from the deer and ended up going to A&E to have them removed , she said that’s the last picnic she will ever have

Spruce

 

I've got a few foxes but I think I'm more likely to catch mange than ticks.

 

About 5% of ticks in the uk carry lymes. There are other diseases they can carry though, there is some wierd mild virus that can cause a bad auto immune reaction.
Ticks and spiders look quite different, and move differently. Small money spiders are agile and fairly fast and have distinct waists. Ticks have a very fat, greyish yellowish booty and a very different face. Look at some pictures on google and youll familiarise yourself with them.

Humans primarily get the last stage where it wants to feed on deer, and has just finished feeding on small to medium sized birds. It can feed on foxes at that stage as suggested. Pheasants are a common vector for example.

Cats and dogs can get different species of ticks but they dont usually infect humans.

 

If you try to squish a spider climbing up your leg, it’s pretty easy. Ticks seem to be a lot tougher! I have a selection of tick removal hooks, mainly for son’s dog, as we have foxes, badgers and deer visiting the garden. I’ve only found one on my leg, thought it was a tiny mole (not the animal!) didn’t shift when I scratched at it, and I had to go and borrow a magnifying glass before I could identify that it had legs. Got it off with the tick remover. I now ensure that I tuck my work trousers into my socks when I’m gardening!

 

The one I spotted was flattish, shiny black didn't move and had legs that seemed to be in the wrong place for a spider. I'm not an expert and he's moved on. I'm on the awareness side of the paranoia spectrum but was just wondering - as I do.

 

I've had a slow year for ticks - probably pulled fewer than 20 out of my legs...

 

you might want to get tested for lymes! doesnt always present noticable symptoms!

 

Wow! Not everyone gets that classic rash though.
Just to be really pedantic, it's Lyme Disease: named after Lyme, a town in Connecticut, US, where an outbreak occurred.

 

Since moving to Cornwall I have removed dozens of tics from my dog and cat. Some years seemed worst than others. It was only this year I noticed, for the first time, one on myself, although my S in L and daughter have both found them on their legs after walking in my garden. They didn't begin to be a problem until my neighbour kept a few sheep in the field next to my garden. We have wild life of all sorts around here, badgers, deer, foxes etc. so there is a fair chance the tics travel on something.
I find them repulsive. Their skin is very tough and leathery so it is really difficult to squish them. I usually resort to cutting them in half with scissors.