A tick infestation is a condition where a tick

Tick

Ticks are small arachnids in the order Ixodida, along with mites, constitute the subclass Acarina. Ticks are ectoparasites , living by hematophagy on the blood of mammals, birds, and sometimes reptiles and amphibians...

 acts as an ectoparasite.

It is sometimes thought of as an animal disease. In humans, the primary concern from tick bites is often not the ectoparasitism itself, but the potential for the tick to transmit disease or tick paralysis

Tick paralysis

Tick paralysis is the only tick-borne disease that is not caused by an infectious organism. The illness is caused by a neurotoxin produced in the tick's salivary gland. After prolonged attachment, the engorged tick transmits the toxin to its host...

. Still, in certain populations, it is possible for tick infestation to be clinically significant.

There is some evidence that Ixodes ricinus

Ixodes ricinus

Ixodes ricinus, the castor bean tick, is a chiefly European species of hard-bodied tick. It may reach a length of when engorged with a blood meal, and can transmit both bacterial and viral pathogens such as the causative agents of Lyme disease and tick-borne encephalitis.-Description:In common...

infected with Borrelia burgdorferi

Borrelia burgdorferi

Borrelia burgdorferi is a species of Gram negative bacteria of the spirochete class of the genus Borrelia. B. burgdorferi is predominant in North America, but also exists in Europe, and is the agent of Lyme disease....

may become more efficient at infestation.

Home remedies (such as vaseline

Vaseline

Vaseline is a brand of petroleum jelly based products owned by Anglo-Dutch company Unilever. Products include plain petroleum jelly and a selection of skin creams, soaps, lotions, cleansers, deodorants and personal lubricants....

 or matches) have been used in the past, but are not currently recommended.