Being a few miles north of ground zero for Lyme disease, I always have a pair of tweezers at hand. Pick them off as soon as you find them. The longer they're attached the greater the chance you'll catch something.
Also, anything that would cause them to regurgitate is to be AVOIDED! That includes vaseline, matches, hot pins, etc.
There are several very nasty bugs that ticks can carry in their gut. Also a large number of less dangerous stuff that'll still throw you for a loop for awhile.