This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link and make a purchase I earn a commission at no extra cost for you.
When the tick season begins, tick repellents should be ready. But prevention is often not a particularly interesting subject. However, if you ever had a tick bite, you certainly would like to avoid that happening again. Wearing long pants and a shirt and permanently covering up in summer, doesn’t sound like fun. The best protection is provided products that contain DEET or Picaridin. But what if you worry about side effects? A natural alternative is the use of essential oils as a tick repellent. But what is the best essential oil to repel ticks?
What are Essential Oils?
Essential oils are extracted from flowers, leaves, and bark from various plants. The oils are a mixture of many dozens or hundreds of active biochemical compounds that plants produce to protect themselves from bacteria fungi or insects.
There are hundreds of types of essential oils with just as many different properties. Many oils have one or more beneficial effects that we can use. Modern man has forgotten many of their benefits, but ancient people have been using essential oils to repel ticks and other parasites.
What is the best natural tick repellent?
Besides using synthetic tick repellents and/or essential oils as a tick repellent, there are some further measures you may consider. Controlling and reducing tick populations around your house and in your garden should be one of them. Various types of natural methods such as tick traps, tick repelling plants, and keeping the yard tidy, in combination with essential oil may provide a very effective way of tick control.
As for pet animals is important to note that not all essential oils are recommended. Dogs, cats, and horses have different metabolisms and may react differently or can be sensitive to some products. Ask your veterinarian for advice before you begin to treat your pet with essential oils. Use essential oils only as recommended, most essential oils must be diluted. Be careful what to use and when in doubt consult your doctor for advice if the product is safe to use and does not affect humans.
What essential oils repel ticks?
There are many essential oils but unfortunately, there are not many scientific studies yet on what essential oils repel ticks and how effective they are. In light of the lacking scientific evidence, all you can do is look at the properties of the oils and try out for yourself what essential oils repel ticks.
Common essential oils for tick control
Geranium oil: (Pelargonii odorantissimi) is a valuable essential oil, with a sweet and fruity scent. Geranium oil is produced by the plant to repel plant-eating insects. It also has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. Mosquitoes, lice, and ticks hate the smell of geraniol in the oil.
Palo Santo oil: The important properties of Palo sonata essential oil are anti-infectious, antiviral, and immune stimulants. This oil also has an insect-resistant property and can be used effectively for removing ticks from the body.
Black cumin oil: or Blackseed oil (Nigella sativa) is an important medicinal plant in North Africa and the Mediterranean countries. Numerous active ingredients in black cumin oil give in a wide field of application with many health benefits. Black cumin oil, (nigella) has a toxic effect on bloodsucking insects and ticks, the smell of it is deferring to them.
Rosewood oil: The rosewood essential oil has anti-fungal, anti-infectious, and anti-parasitic properties. With these properties, it can effectively decrease ticks in the animal body and reduce the harmful effects of fungus.
Cedar oil: or cedarwood oil, is derived from various types of conifers. It is a very valuable essential oil with a very pleasant smell and many uses. Its properties include antibacterial and insect repellent action as well as a strong fungicidal effect.
Thyme oil: Thyme oil is derived from different types of thyme. It is a popular oil with many therapeutic uses. The thyme herb is an important part of Mediterranean cuisine.
Thyme oil contains large amounts of Geraniol which repels insects.
Peppermint oil: The Peppermint plant (Mentha piperita) is a popular medicinal plant and its oil has many different uses. Peppermint oil has antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antiparasitic, and antiviral properties, its typical, sharp odor, makes it easy to recognize.
The high concentration of natural biocides makes peppermint oil an effective insect repellent, that can be used to keep ticks as well as other biting insects away from the body.
Not an essential oil but commonly recommended as tick repellent is:
Coconut oil: Cares for the skin, has a slight sun protection factor, is a deterrent to stinging insects and arachnids (ticks), and smells very pleasant. In addition, it has antibacterial, antiviral, and fungicidal properties and acts as an anti-inflammatory. Mixed with other essential oils, it provides a quite useful repellent effect on insects.
Do Essential Oils repel tick?
The effectiveness of essential oils in repelling ticks is well discussed and further research is necessary. A few are already recommended by the CDC to provide some protection against certain tick species. But what really works, you have to try it out for yourself. Wearing appropriate clothing, and applying essential oil tick repellent should only be one of many precautions that you take to prevent a tick bite. Also very important is to check your body regularly for ticks and remove ticks immediately.
