I live in deer country here in Southwestern Virginia -- ticks are everywhere. Tell your mom that a jar of tap water with a healthy dose of the soap that you use to hand-wash dishes -- like Cascade, Palmolive, or Dawn (wait for the foam or bubbles to dissipate) -- will sink those ticks to the bottom like stones. No need to use boiling water at all. You can use the contents of the jar for days at a time on those nasty ticks. Good luck!
<><Peace