Natural Tick Repellent

Ticks are small arachnid insects that are considered ectoparasites, because they feed on the blood of humans and animals by staying on the outside of the host's body. These insects live in trees and in tall grass and will latch onto the host's skin or fur. They are hard to remove from the skin, and some may even carry disease, such as deer ticks, which can carry Lyme disease. You can purchase tick repellent, or you can opt for the natural ones that you can make on your own.

You can make your own tick repellent for use on dogs , cats , farm animals and yourself. This tick repellent uses Neem oil as the active ingredient. A scientific study published in the South African Journal of Animal Science showed that Neem was an effective tick repellent when used on goats. Neem has also been successfully used in dog , cat and human tick repellents, as well as being a natural nontoxic agricultural insecticide. An added benefit for using neem in a tick repellent is that it also repels fleas and mosquitoes.   

You can also consider the following natural tick control ingredients. 

1.    Citronella Oil is the active ingredient found in the ever popular bug repellent Skin-so-Soft. It's also used in candles and a multitude of "natural" tick and flea control products. People are all over the place on the topic of whether or not citronella candles work, and a majority of the responses seem to be in the affirmative, but only if there isn't a strong breeze. Of course, if you're wearing the oil itself, then you don't have to worry about breezes. I'd say give citronella a try to get rid of ticks if other repellents like DEET and permethrins irritate your skin.  

2.    Rose Geranium is yet another oil that is purported to be a natural tick repellent. I haven't had the chance to use this, but my research confirms that there is a modest contingent that swear by this oil as a substitute for a tick bath. However, they warn that you should not use this oil with cats. Don't ask me why. Feline physiology is not a topic I'm quite familiar with. Simply apply a few drops to your dog's collar, and voila--I guess. 

3.    Palmerosa is another oil like Rose Geranium that can be applied to your dog's collar to help prevent tick infestations. Similarly, if combined with a moisturizing lotion like cocoa butter or aloe, it can be applied to your skin as well. Consider Palmerosa and Rose Geranium if you're looking for a natural remedy for ticks. 

For humans, the most effective tick repellent products are those that use DEET. Off and Cutter are perhaps the most popular brands of insect repellents that claim DEET as the active ingredient. However, DEET doesn't last long on the skin once it's applied, and it has to be reapplied sometimes several times a day. For people who are going to be spending a lot of time in the woods no matter what, permethrin repellent products is probably the way to go. 

Permethrins are an insecticide derived from flowers, and are marketed under the names Permanone and Duranon. Apply permethrins the same way you would apply DEET, but try to avoid applying it to the face or ingesting it. The alternative to both DEET and permethrins is of course citronella oil. The very popular brand Skin-so-Soft carries an entire line of insect and tick repellents that use citronella oil as their active ingredient. Personally, I prefer DEET's effectiveness when I'm hiking through the Boundary Waters or just tromping around in the woods behind my house. Note that a concentration of 30% DEET in tick repellent products is recommended for adults, while for small children 10% or less is recommended. 

Both Frontline and Advantage are considered effective forms of flea & tick control for dogs and cats.