You don't want to pull a tick out with anything that will squeeze it, or it will inject the tic's body fluid into the bite. Here's how I remove ticks, and it works!!! Take about three feet of thread or light weight fishing line... Tie a loose half hitch in it... slip the knot over the tick, and then tighten it close to the skin, so it is choking the @*&%# out of the tick. Then pull lightly... not hard... lightly. Eventually, like about 30 seconds or less, the tick will give up and let go. With this method the tic is removed head in tact, and it can't excrete nasty stuff into the wound.