Flea and Tick Repellent

Natural Tick Repellent with Essential Oils [Recipe]

Ticks really do not like essential oils. They search out people or “hosts” by scent, so essential oils can help not only by masking your scent, but some essential oils actually repel them. Geranium (study link) is on the top of the list for repelling ticks, along with lemon eucalyptus (study link), and lavender (study link). Lavender oil has even been shown in studies to prevent tick eggs from hatching.

This tick blend can be mixed with water in a spray bottle. Essential oils can be too strong to be put directly on the skin without causing irritation, so diluting in a spray bottle or lets essential oils be used on the skin without irritation (and makes them easier to apply).

 

Tick Prevention Spray:

Ingredients:

2 oz. amber spray bottle

2 tbs. witch hazel (optional, see note below)

2 tbs. water

15 drops Geranium Oil*

10 drops Lemon Eucalyptus Oil*

10 drops Lavender Oil*

 

*If using on young children or people with sensitive skin, slightly reduce the amounts of essential oils.

 

Directions:

Fill a 2 oz. bottle a little less than half of the way with witch hazel, then fill to roughly 80% with water before adding your essential oils. Top off with a bit of water to fill if desired, though take care to make sure that the top of the liquid mixture is slightly lower than the neck so it doesn’t overflow when the top is put on. 

Note: Essential oils can be mixed with straight water in a spray bottle, but in our experience mixing with half unscented witch hazel and half water yields a better result that lasts longer. Witch hazel also helps the oils to stay combined so the oil doesn't just sit on the top of the water.

To Use: Spray on skin as needed, especially on lower legs and feet if wearing sandals. Do not use near the face. 

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Tick Notes:

Tick bites are painless, so there’s really no way to know if you’ve been bitten than to look for them.

Ticks can range in size and some can be extremely small.

Ticks are all around, not just in wooded areas, so get in the habit of doing a quick “tick check” after coming in from outside, even if you’ve just been in your backyard. Most ticks are picked up on the legs and they crawl up the body from there, so using repellents on shoes and legs is an especially good idea.

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What to do if you get bitten by a tick:

Use tweezers to remove the tick, grasping it firmly with the tweezers as close to the skin as possible, pulling upward with a slow, steady, even pressure. Twisting or jerking can cause parts of the tick to remain in the skin.

Don’t be afraid, ticks are very common and most tick bites are harmless, but do be on the lookout for a rash or fever and contact your physician if you have any of the following symptoms: rash, fever, muscle or joint pain or weakness.

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Natural Insect Repellents for People, Pets, and Gardens


We have a great new essential oil blend available this month by NOW called Bug Ban. It’s a fantastic mix of essential oils that are very effective at repelling mosquitoes and other nasty summer insects. We also have a few new essential oil based insect repellent sprays available at the store, including a new one especially formulated for young children, be sure to stop by to check them out! 


We also have our own DIY Essential Oil Insect Repellent Recipe on on our website, as well as a great natural Flea and Tick Recipe for Dogs and Cats.

Additionally, I thought I'd link to a great article from our website on how neem oil can be very effective as a natural garden spray against bad bugs in the garden (I actually need to mix up a batch today since something is feasting on my phlox plants).


Enjoy this gorgeous weather!!
 

DIY Essential Oil Flea and Tick Recipes for Dogs and Cats

Ticks really do not like essential oils. They search out pets and people by scent, so essential oils work not only by masking a dog’s scent, but some essential oils actually repel them. Geranium is on the top of the list for repelling ticks, along with lemon eucalyptus, and lavender (study here).   Lavender oil has even been shown in studies to prevent tick eggs from hatching.

This tick blend can be mixed with a carrier oil like grapeseed and rubbed into a pet’s fur and legs.  Essential oils are too strong to be put directly on the skin without causing irritation, so diluting with a carrier oil (an unscented oil) lets essential oil be used on the skin without irritation. For using oils topically on dogs for tick or flea prevention, a good dilution is roughly five drops of essential oils mixed with a teaspoon of carrier oil and then rubbed into the fur- being careful to avoid the eyes, nose, mouth, and genitals.

These oils can be mixed and then put on the outside of a collar if it is made of an absorbent cloth.

Pennyroyal oil is very effective as a tick repellant, but even though many recipes online recommend using pennyroyal for pets, pennyroyal can be toxic to the point of death for dogs and cats.  For that reason, even though pennyroyal is an effective tick deterrent, we do not recommend using it topically (directly on the skin) for dogs or cats.  If you still do desire to use pennyroyal for dogs, a very small amount (1-2 drops) can be applied to the outside of a collar to repel ticks (make sure the oil is absorbed into the collar before putting it on).  Pennyroyal should never be used on cats, and only for dogs with caution.

Safer oils to use that repel fleas are eucalyptus, peppermint, cedarwood, and citronella.  

To make an essential oil spray for dogs, combine 30 drops essential oils to one cup of water and to spray on a dog’s fur.  Shake bottle well before spraying each time to mix the water and essential oils.  For small dogs, reduce the amounts of essential oils in this recipe.


IMPORTANT NOTE:  

Geranium oils and citrus oils should not be used on cats, in fact, cats are particularly sensitive to essential oils, so this recipe is best used for dogs.  Also, essential oils like pennyroyal, cedar, and citronella should not be used on pregnant animals (on any pregnant animal, it is best to use oils only on a collar, rather than on the skin).  Animals should never ingest essential oils.

Cats and Fleas and Ticks

For cats, the one oil that they seem to be able to tolerate is neem oil.  Neem can be helpful for both fleas and ticks for cats.  A small amount can be added to a shampoo (at the dilution of no more than a teaspoon of oil to a cup of pet shampoo).  Neem can also be used in small amounts on the outside of a cat’s collar as a flea repellant. 

Geranium and rosemary oils can be used as a flea and tick repellant on cats, as long as they are highly diluted.   For a flea and tick spray for cats, mix 4 drops total of geranium and rosemary oils to one cup of water and spray on cat’s fur, avoiding the face.

Also on our health blog:

Natural Pet Care for Pain, Anxiety, and More