How would you like to learn about natural tick repellents for you and your pets? If you're like me, you consider your pets part of your family. Our pets give us companionship and comfort, and sometimes even help with certain tasks like hunting and herding that are essential for a survival or homestead lifestyle.
It's so important to protect your pets from parasites, which at best will make them itchy and uncomfortable and at worst infect them with harmful and sometimes deadly diseases.
Natural Tick Repellents | Protect You and Your Pets From Ticks
All Natural Tick Repellent for Humans
It's so important to keep ticks under control, and the best way to do that is to prevent them from latching on in the first place. You should exercise extra caution when venturing into a moist or wooded environment, as these are the areas where ticks flourish.
Hiking in a densely wooded area can often lead to a tick infestation.
Just in case you do end up with a tick on you, you should learn how to remove a tick safely. But using these natural tick repellents below, you will make yourself much safer if you have something to repel ticks.
Recipe #1: Tick Repellent For Your Clothes
This insect repellent is applied to your clothes instead of your skin. It will stop fleas and ticks in their tracks before they even have a chance to latch on to you. As a bonus, you won't have to worry about any sticky residue on your skin.
Check out the recipe below and learn how to make your own tick spray.
What You’ll Need:
- Spray bottle (for mixing water with essential oil)
- 1 cup of water
- 10 drops of rose geranium oil
- 5 drops of cedarwood oil
- 2 to 3 drops of lavender oil
- 2 to 3 drops of lemongrass oil
Instructions:
- Fill a spray bottle with 1 cup of water.
- Add the essential oils and shake well.
To Apply:
Shake well before each use and spray it on your clothes and shoes. The scent caused by the active ingredients will keep ticks away and act as a natural insect repellent.
Recipe #2: Repellent for Your Clothes, Skin, and Hair
This all-natural tick repellent will work on any part of your body, clothes or hair. The peppermint oil also gives it a great aroma.
What You’ll Need:
- Spray bottle
- 2 cups of distilled white vinegar
- 1 cup of water
- 20 drops of peppermint oil
Instructions:
- Fill a spray bottle with all the ingredients and shake well.
- Spray this mixture onto your clothes, hair, and skin before going outdoors.
If you are going to be outside most of the day, reapply every 4 hours.
Recipe #3: Tick Repellent for Your Clothes
Here's one more tick repellent you can apply to your clothes to keep those creepy crawlers off of you.
What you’ll need:
- Spray bottle
- 20 drops of rose geranium oil
- 10 drops of sweetgrass oil
- 5 drops of lavender oil
- 5 drops of citronella or lemon oil
- 4 oz of rubbing alcohol, witch hazel, vodka, apple cider vinegar, OR distilled water
Instructions: Add all of the ingredients into the spray bottle, shake well, and spray on clothes before going outside.
All Natural Tick Repellents for Your Pets
Summer is the worst time of year for flea and tick infestations, and our pets seem to be the ones who are affected the most. Ticks love to burrow under their hair and attach to the skin in dark, damp areas such as the elbows and groin.
You should check your pets for ticks daily, especially after taking them for a walk, hike, or swim. These natural tick repellents below will also help protect them from an infestation.
Recipe #1: Natural Tick Repellent for Dogs
If you have outside dogs, it's very important to keep them protected from fleas. But even if your pooch only goes outside for an hour or two a day, you'd be amazed how quickly ticks can latch on.
This natural tick repellent for dogs will keep Fido safe and tick-free.
What you’ll need:
- Spray bottle
- 1 cup of water
- 2 cups of white distilled vinegar
- 2 tsp of almond or vegetable oil
Instructions:
Spray the mixture on your pet’s dry coat. It is important to keep the repellent away from sensitive areas like nose, eyes, genitals, and mouth.
When your pet is outdoors for extended periods, you should spray the solution about 2-3 times every day. On the other hand, if your pet is only outdoors for potty breaks, you should spray the solution just once every day.
Tip: If you want to make a repellent that can also repel fleas, add 1 tsp of citrus oil, lemon juice, OR peppermint oil.
Recipe #2: Natural Tick Repellent for Cats
Most cats aren't at as much of a risk for tick infestation due to spending most of their time inside. Still, it's very important to protect them as well, since ticks can find their way inside from time to time. Obviously, if you have an outdoor cat, it's even more important.
Here's our recipe for natural tick repellent for cats.
What you’ll need:
- 2 cups raw unfiltered organic apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp of dried organic neem leaf
- 1 tbsp of dried organic catnip
- a tbsp of dried organic lavender
- 1 tbsp of dried organic peppermint leaf
- 1 tbsp organic pure aloe vera gel (optional, but helps with skin and hair health)
- Mason jar
- Distilled water
Instructions:
- Combine apple cider vinegar and herbs in a mason jar and steep for 1-2 weeks, shaking daily to combine. Strain with a cheesecloth or coffee filter before keeping in a glass mason jar for use.
- In an 8 oz. spray bottle, combine 1/2 cup herbal infused apple cider vinegar, aloe vera gel, and distilled water to fill.
- Spray onto cat while grooming.
- Allow to dry completely and do not rinse off.
Kick fleas to the curb with these natural deterrents. https://t.co/lE2PoDXWvm pic.twitter.com/X9u9TXwEt0
— Survival Life (@SurvivalLF) August 2, 2016
Aside from these natural tick repellents, there are other things you can do to avoid tick bites. Here are some additional tips.
How to Avoid Tick Bites
- Wear pantyhose underpants (yes, even guys too!)
- Don’t walk in high grassy areas.
- Keep your grass cut.
- Don’t sit on logs – If you sit on a log for only five minutes, you raise your chance of getting bitten by 30%.
- Wear hats when walking in the woods.
- Wear tight (not loose) braids, ponytails or buns.
- Put on clothing that covers the skin and has elastic on the wrist and ankles.
- Wear boots or shoes that can be tightened at the ankles.
- Tuck your pants into your socks.
- Always walk in the center of trails when taking nature walks.
- Shower within two hours of coming indoors. (I personally shower immediately after being outdoors. Showering immediately also helps to prevent chigger bites.)
- Inspect your clothes and body, especially: under the arms, around the ears, inside the belly button, back of knees, and in your hair.
Watch this video by RealtreeOutdoors about making your own tick repellent:
Many ticks are found in wooded areas, tall grass, shrubs, and even in your lawn. Ticks like to hide in places that have significant moisture and areas that are out of direct sunlight. Avoid these areas to help prevent being bitten by ticks. Ticks can transfer bacteria and can cause diseases such as Lyme disease and tick-borne diseases. Protecting ourselves and our pets against these bloodsucking pests is a must. These natural solutions scare ticks away as well as serve as a mosquito repellent and bug repellent as well.
Do you have any tips of your own for how to avoid ticks? Share them with us and your fellow readers in the comments section!
Up Next: How to Remove Ticks from Your Skin
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Editor’s Note – This post was originally published in August 2016 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
Great, complete article. Very helpful.
I have also used garlic as a natural repellent to ticks and chiggers. I learned to use this when I was in the military and training in the woods, bushes and tall grass. It will also keep people away from you unfortunately.
“4 oz of rubbing alcohol, witch hazel, vodka, apple cider vinegar, OR distilled water”
Surely there’s SOME difference when using differing bases. It would help to know what they are or if I can really get the same effect with distilled water as I’d get with witch hazel or apple cider vinegar.
The rubbing alcohol, witch hazel and vodka dry quickly, the ACV acts as a bit of a repellent (and it stinks!), and the distilled water stays damp longer. Using distilled water instead of tap water is to keep the nozzle of the spray bottle from getting clogged.
That’s how I use those bases for stuff at home. I’m just guessing at the reason for those choices here.
I absolutely agree with you “Amy says”. I live in the country, having between my father and I (he lives “next door”) over 25 acres. And about 3/4’s of it is either wooded or has very tall grassy areas. These are all great ideas that I will be trying this summer for all my animals. You can also buy from your local USDA office; a 99.99% garlic solution. You dilute it with water and spray it everywhere you want to rid the problem. I know I paid, two years ago, about $100 for a gallon. It is worth it!!! This is concentrated and I still have a bit left over from two years ago. We spray appropriately 12-15 acres. It smells like garlic bread for a couple days and the smell dissipates within a day or so. Depending on how wet the spring is for that season. The effects will last anywhere from 1-3 months. I usually only apply twice a year but have only applied it once during a very dry season we had. As a bonus, it will keep mosquitoes at bay. They hate the smell, even after you can no longer smell it. Spray it in standing water to help cut down on the breeding of them as well. I live in Southeast Michigan if that helps give you an idea of my climate for comparison to yours. Good luck to you all with your battle this summer. 8}
If you are allowed in your area, turning loose 12 chickens or so will cut down the number of tics in your acreage.
its good to get someone else to check you out for them. there’s lots of places you can’t see
Hi. We have loads of ticks where we live (Austria). It’s also important to check in private places (men!) Ticks like it it where it’s warm. I have found them there on my sons often to their embarssment. Also, to repeat what was mentioned, have someone else check where you can’t see. Thanks for the repellant tips.
Hi! I really like your tips and comments on living in the woods. I’m an old codger now, but when I was younger, I did a lot of hunting and hiking in the woods. That evening I’d take a shower with some of our dog’s flea and tick shampoo, then wash it off with regular soap. Never had a problem with ticks or even redbugs (that’s what we call chiggers in the South).