I love this double sided tape idea!!!!!!! On my way to Home Depot now to grab some!!!! I’m going to put the torts in plastic containers. Can I put wee pads down for them at least? Maybe tape them down? I’ve definitely noticed a drop in ticks but that’s suspicious to me lol means I’ll probably have more in a week ??.... someone recommended provent-a-mite, not sure if I want to take that route yet. But I would like to kill these suckersSafety note: please do NOT pop ticks. They are full of whatever dangerous tick-borne bacteria/spirochetes/parasites are endemic where you live, and if blood splatters, you can get infected. Wash your hands carefully after handling. Drop whole ticks into a disposable jar containing a good volume of isopropyl alcohol.
I'm not a fan of grabbing ticks with pick-ups because that can cause a tick to regurgitate back into the host. We don't have a great number of studies about tick-borne infections in NA torts. That being said, everyone's better off with them removed when sighted, so: use your judgement, grab as near to the mouthparts as possible, and rest when your fingers get tired.
A good coating of olive oil (or similar) can be helpful and is non-harmful. It also flows easily into the leg crevices where you can't see/reach. It does make the job slippery for you, so keep a stack of paper towels nearby.
Use double-sided tape around the top of the quarantine enclosures so ticks get stuck trying to climb out to lay eggs (be careful that the tape cannot fall where tort skin will stick to it - not fun). Change out bedding daily and discard in a thoroughly sealed bag.
'Luck!