How can you tell if there are ticks in a pillow? - briefly
Shake the pillow over a white sheet and examine it for tiny, dark, moving insects; also feel the fabric for small, moving specks. Look for unexplained bites or itching after use.
How can you tell if there are ticks in a pillow? - in detail
Detecting the presence of ticks in a pillow requires a systematic visual and tactile inspection, followed by a brief laboratory confirmation if necessary.
First, remove the pillowcase and any protective cover. Examine the fabric under bright, natural light. Look for small, dark specks ranging from 2 mm to 5 mm in length. Ticks often appear as flattened, oval shapes with a distinct segmentation. Pay special attention to seams, folds, and the interior corners where insects tend to hide.
Second, feel the surface of the pillow. Use gloved fingers to gently press and slide across the material. Live ticks may move when disturbed, while dead ones feel slightly gritty. A faint, sweet odor—often described as a “musty” or “animal” scent—can also indicate infestation.
Third, employ a magnifying glass or a hand lens (10×–20×) to scrutinize any suspicious spots. Confirm the morphology: a hard dorsal shield (scutum), eight legs on adult stages, and a body that expands after feeding.
If visual clues remain ambiguous, collect a sample. Cut a small swatch (approximately 5 cm × 5 cm) from the affected area, place it in a sealed plastic bag, and label with date and location. Send the specimen to an entomology laboratory for microscopic identification.
Additional preventive steps:
- Wash the pillowcase and cover at 60 °C (140 °F) or higher.
- Expose the pillow to direct sunlight for several hours; ultraviolet radiation is lethal to ticks.
- Vacuum the pillow surface and interior using a hose attachment, then discard the vacuum bag immediately.
By combining thorough visual scanning, tactile assessment, magnification, and, when needed, professional analysis, you can reliably determine whether a pillow contains ticks.