NATURAL TICK REPELLENT OPTIONS AND WHAT THE SCIENCE SAYS

Medically reviewed by Josephine Hessert, DOMedically reviewed by Josephine Hessert, DO

You can avoid catching a disease from a tick bite by steering clear of them, wearing protective clothing, using a tick repellent, and removing them promptly from your skin.

Though there are natural tick repellents, experts say they are not always the best option. Some do have benefits, however. When choosing among the options, it's important to understand which natural tick repellents work.

When a tick bites you, it inserts a feeding tube into your skin to withdraw blood. If the tick is infected with a disease-causing organism from another animal it has bitten, it can transmit the germs to you as it feeds. Some tick-borne illnesses can be serious.

4 Natural Repellents

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that tick-borne diseases have been increasing since 2004. Climate change and the warmer, wetter weather it brings are contributing factors, allowing ticks to proliferate in new areas or for longer periods of time.

That raises the risk of a tick bite and the diseases they can carry. The CDC says that natural tick repellents for the skin, which may work but only for a short time, are not as effective as chemically based repellents. However, you can take other steps to avoid tick bites naturally.

Clothing and Other Barriers

What you wear can reduce the chance of a tick being able to bite you. Appropriate clothing includes:

  • Closed-toe shoes
  • Long pants
  • Long-sleeved shirts
  • Pant legs tucked into your socks
  • Shirt tucked into pants

If you have tall grasses, brush, or wooded areas on your property, keep recreational areas like picnic tables or swing sets away from them. You also can make 3-foot wide barriers of gravel, brick, or other materials like cinder block that make it difficult for ticks to cross. Keep the yard free of debris that can harbor ticks.

Essential Oils

According to a 2024 review in Emerging Infectious Diseases, it is challenging to assess how reliable essential oils are as tick repellents. They may vary in potency, be more effective against certain tick species than others, or work at one point in a tick's lifecycle but not others. The research may also be insufficient to determine how effective they actually are.

The review of 49 studies determined the following regarding the length of time certain essential oils will repel ticks from the skin:

  • Rosemary oil: Less than 10 minutes
  • Cedarwood, citronella, garlic, lemongrass, spearmint, thyme oils: Less than 60 minutes
  • Peppermint oil: Initially highly effective, but efficacy dropped more than 80% within two hours

Some natural repellents made from essential oils do show promise, however. One commercial product tested containing geraniol oil, rosemary, cinnamon, and lemongrass was shown to be as effective as the chemically based repellent permethrin for two days against black-legged and lone star ticks. However, it was only studied on textiles, not skin.

Another experimental formula with geraniol oil was applied to socks and found to be as effective as the chemically based repellent DEET against black-legged ticks, lone star ticks, American dog ticks, and brown dog ticks. However, the study did not examine how it worked when applied to human skin.

Some products with essential oils may be more effective against ticks in the soil or on plants than on human skin. These include garlic oil, cedarwood, geraniol, rosemary, and peppermint oil.

More research and standardized manufacturing methods are needed to confirm how well essential oils work as tick repellents, especially on the skin.

Nootkatone

Nootkatone is a substance found in certain plants including grapefruit and cedar trees. It can repel and kill ticks, and is also used to scent products like shampoos and perfumes, and added to foods for flavor. When nootkatone is applied as a tick repellent on fabrics and the skin, it can work for several hours.

Initially, nootkatone was difficult to produce at a reasonable cost, but new manufacturing methods have made it viable. It is now available as an active ingredient in tick-repellent products and is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Metarhizium brunneum (formerly Metarhizium anisopliae) Fungus

Metarhizium brunneum, a fungus initially classified as Matarhizium anisopliae, is found in the soil of forests of the Eastern United States. It can kill ticks, and one strain, called Met52, has been developed for commercial use in lawn soil and other residential areas. It is nontoxic to humans and was found to be as effective as chemical pesticides in managing tick populations.

How Are Natural Tick Repellents Made?

There are "recipes" for homemade tick repellents using botanical oils as the active ingredients. They can be made by mixing oils such as geraniol, vetiver, or cedarwood in water, alcohol, or another oil and using them in a spray bottle.

The EPA has found some commercially made natural anti-tick products have little to no known risk to humans or the environment, even if their effectiveness is unclear.

They may contain oils such as cinnamon, cedarwood, geraniol, citronella, cloves, garlic, peppermint, rosemary, sesame, spearmint, or thyme, and mild compounds like citric acid, potassium sorbate, or sodium chloride (salt).

CDC-Recommended Tick Repellents

The CDC recommends using EPA-registered insect repellents that work for ticks. Registration means they have been evaluated for safety and effectiveness. The active ingredients in the repellents can include both synthetic chemicals and ingredients derived from natural sources. Check the label to ensure you understand what is in a tick repellent.

Recommended synthetic or chemical compounds are:

Recommended products derived from natural materials include:

  • Catnip oil
  • Oil of citronella
  • Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE)
  • IR3535, which is derived from a naturally-occurring amino acid
  • 2-undercanone, which may be produced synthetically or from natural sources
  • Para-menthane-diol (PMD) derived from citronella plant

Do not use PMD or OLE on children under 3 years of age.

Finding the Right Tick Repellent

You can use the EPA's Find the Repellent That Is Right for You search tool to select products that contain different repellents.

Natural Tick Repellents for the Home and Garden

In addition to products made with Met52, there are other natural options you can try around your property, though they are not registered or recommended by the CDC or EPA. These include:

  • Neem oil sprayed onto the soil
  • Apple cider vinegar and water spray for foliage
  • Garlic juice spray
  • Planting rosemary, chrysanthemums, mint, lemongrass, sage, lavender, garlic, onions, marigold, petunias, or juniper

Summary

There are natural tick repellent options available, but they may not be as effective or long-lasting as chemically based repellents. Some may work in the soil or on fabrics to repel or kill ticks, but research has not determined if they are safe or effective on the skin.

When choosing a tick-repellent, you can check through the EPA or CDC to see if a product or ingredient has been evaluated for safety and effectiveness.

Read the original article on Verywell Health.

2024-09-30T13:22:50Z dg43tfdfdgfd