Ongoing wet weather in recent months has prompted warnings about an explosion in the tick population, with a woman hospitalised overnight after a seemingly innocuous bushwalk.
Nine.com.au Line-Up Editor Karina Recchi went for a walk in Lane Cove National Park in Sydney's north last week, and came home feeling fine.
However, by Friday she felt a little bump just above her ear.
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"My first thought was, 'Is this food'? Is it a sore? Have I grown a mole?'" Ms Recchi said.
"I had no idea."
Using her phone and a mirror, she was able to spot what looked like a small brown lump.
Still unsure what she was looking at, she started scratching and tugging at it.
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It took "five minutes of pulling", but finally, the tick was dislodged, and still alive.
"I had no clue what I was looking at," Ms Recchi said, admitting she was "terrified" of the creature in front of her.
After some quick internet searches and a phone call to a colleague, she was on her way to the doctor, who suggested she head to the hospital.
"I don't know if it was a reverse placebo effect, but I felt really dizzy, had a massive headache and I pins and needles in my legs," Ms Recchi said.
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After a night in the emergency ward and multiple tests including a CT scan, blood tests and neurological checks, Ms Recchi was discharged, with advice to follow up with further tests.
"I was lucky – the doctor said I pulled the tick out fine as it was whole," she said.
"But what worried them was that the tick was still alive. They said if you're trying to pull it out while it's alive, and you're squeezing it, it can release its venom into you.
"And because it bit and burrowed into my head, they wanted to make sure there was no damage."
Tickpocalypse now
Wet weather in recent months, and the forecast of more to come, has precipitated a boom in tick populations in Australia.
Ticksafe owner Aaron Wagner said the consistent rain had "definitely" been a driving force.
"The tick population is much bigger than in previous years," he said.
He and his Sydney-based team, who focus on tick prevention and extermination services in gardens, were "considerably busier" than they had been in years.
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"What's different is that now, people with well-kept lawns, not just jungles, are calling with tick problems," Mr Wagner said.
"We don't normally see that."
What people need to watch out for is evidence of marsupials in their yard.
Mr Wagner said animals such as possums and bandicoots were immune to tick venoms, and that once a parasite had drunk its fill of blood from them, it would fall off.
Conical holes in the lawn were signs of bandicoots, and probably a good reason to call a tick specialist.
And Mr Wagner warned the population boom wouldn't end any time soon.
"People have this idea that spring and summer is 'tick season'," he said.
"Ticks have a life cycle of 12 to 14 months, so they are going to be around for a while."
He said it would take a sustained period of dry weather for the population boom to be checked.
What to do if you're bitten
Paralysis ticks are the chief species of concern in Australia, but they are mostly focused on the eastern coast. Adults are blue-grey and measure about one centimetre in length.
Lyme disease, probably the most infamous tick-based illness, is not endemic in Australia, but allergic reactions and a condition called "tick paralysis" are still possible.
Health Direct advises that most people bitten by ticks will mostly notice redness and swelling around the bite site, which will fade when the tick is removed.
Signs of tick paralysis include a rash, headache, fever, flu-like symptoms, sore glands, unsteady walking, an intolerance for bright lights, weak limbs and a paralysed face.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction include a swollen throat, difficulty breathing, or collapsing.
If you have been bitten by a tick and are not sure if you're allergic, or know that you are, seek medical help immediately.
If you know you are not allergic, you can try to remove the tick yourself, by spraying it with something that contains ether, which should kill the tick and force it to drop off in about five minutes.
Trying to yank the tick out, or to burn it or use any other substance to kill it is not advised.
If the tick or part of the tick remains embedded, seek medical advice.
NSW Health confirmed to nine.com.au the above-average rainfall associated with La Nina meant more tick activity than usual was suspected.
"The best way to prevent tick bites is to avoid tick prone areas such as natural bushland; wear and tuck in a long-sleeved shirt and long pants tucked into socks; wear light coloured clothing; use an insect repellent that contains DEET, Picardin or oil of lemon eucalyptus," a department spokesperson said.
"If you suspect you have been bitten by a tick seek professional medical advice."
