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Tick bites are not only annoying but can also transmit dangerous diseases such as Rocky Mountain fever, Lyme disease, and others. These serious illnesses can lead to long-term health problems or worse. There is a wide range of effective synthetic repellents available, but what works well may have side effects when used on a regular basis. So why not try a homemade tick repellent as a natural way to repel ticks.
There are quite a few different essential oils that have bug repelling properties that make them an alternative to synthetic tick repellents. Use one or a combination of essential oils mixed with a carrier oil to create your own homemade tick repellent. It is easy to make and is safe too.
Essential oils that repel Ticks
These essential oils smell very strongly and repel ticks and other bloodsuckers:
- Rose geranium
- Citronella
- Eucalyptus
- Cedarwood
- Rosemary
- Lavender
- Lemongrass
- Peppermint
How does homemade tick repellent work?
Ticks find their victims by smelling them. They have a unique and extremely sensitive organ on the front of their first pair of legs called “Haller’s Organ”. With that organ, they can sense sweat and other bodily odors, as well as the carbon dioxide you exhale.
Plants produce essential oils in their leaves, flowers or bark to attract or repel insects. We can use such essential oils with strong insect repellent properties to ward off bloodsuckers. They help to conceal human odor and irritate the ticks’ sensory organs so they will have problems recognizing a potential victim.
How to make a tick repellent spray?
To mix a homemade tick repellent, you will a suitable container, best is a pump spray bottle that can hold about 3 to 4 ounces.
A suitable carrier to dissolve the oils in; a water-alcohol mixture or base oil such a coconut oil, or hazal-water, there are many you can experiment with.
One or more essential oils to go into the mixture. Effective are the essential oils of citronella or eucalyptus, they are proven and are often used in many organic products you can buy.
After getting the things ready, proceed to make the spray by following the steps below.
- Take the spray bottle and clean it thoroughly. Avoid plastic bottles, some essential oils may react with plastics.
- Fill the carrier into the bottle you are going to use to dissolve the essential oils in
- Now, add essential oils, about 20 to 30 drops for the 3 -ounce bottle
- Shake gently to mix it all together
- The natural tick repellent is now ready to use.
How to apply homemade tick repellent?
Before first use spray over a smaller area on the skin and check if there are any skin irritations or hypersensitivity reactions. Once you sure there are no unwanted reactions, spray it on your clothes and skin, avoid the face.
When you go outdoors, make sure you take this bottle along with you. As it is a natural homemade tick repellent, you will have to apply it in regular intervals to be effective.
Which homemade tick repellent is effective?
You need to experiment a bit and find out which combination of essential oils with which carrier, either water-alcohol or which base oil works best for you. Keep in mind that no repellent provides 100% protection and no natural repellent is as effective as synthetic repellents containing Deet or Picaridin
