Homemade Flea and Tick Repellant for Pets

By Shanna Lea, on August 5th, 2013

Ticks Image by fairfaxcounty

If you find this post useful, please take one second to like, share, or tweet it. Thanks!

 

© 2013 Shanna Lea

Ticks are aggravating pests and I battled them for several years where I used to live.  It was hard to keep ahead of them and before long I had to resort to chemical based retail products on my dogs.  But I don’t feel those products are safe, so I have been looking for natural solutions.  I don’t have a tick problem at my new place, but if they show up, I am using this recipe.

These flea and tick repellant recipes use essential oils.  I only use therapeutic essential oils on my pets, not the cheaper brands.  My pets had reactions to the “cheap” essential oils and after researching and talking with a practitioner, who uses the oils for his clients, I learned that those cheaper ones are not distilled for purity.  Having directly experienced the use of both therapeutic and cheaper oils on my dogs (and myself) and seeing their reactions, I can only recommend the therapeutic oils.  I now use Young Living Essential Oils for all my essential oil needs. 

Homemade Tick Repellant for Pets

1 cup water

2 cups distilled white vinegar (ticks are repelled by the vinegar alone)

2 tablespoons vegetable or almond oil (both contain sulfur, which also repels ticks)

Put all the ingredients in a spray bottle and spray on the pet’s dry coat, staying away from sensitive areas (mouth, eyes, nose and genitals).

Homemade Flea Repellant

Use the recipe above and add 2 tablespoons lemon juice.

Or add a few drops of citrus oil or peppermint oil to the mixture.

Homemade Tick Repellant for Humans

For us, we can use the same Tick Repellant Recipe and add 20 drops of essential oil.  Ticks are repelled by Eucalyptus, Citrus, and Peppermint.  Mix the solution and spray on your clothes, hair and skin before going outdoors.  Reapply every four hours if you are out for long periods of time.  Remember to check over your body for ticks after returning home.

Homemade Tick Repellents For Humans and Dogs

Ticks can be troublesome outdoor pests, as they feed off the blood of mammals, and can carry and transfer bacteria and disease such as Lyme disease. Some retail products are designed to repel ticks, but these are many times high-priced items and no more effective than a simple homemade solution.

Repellent for Pets

For pets, add 1 cup of water to a spray bottle, followed by 2 cups of distilled white vinegar. Ticks hate the smell and taste of vinegar, and will be easily be repelled by this ingredient alone. Then, add two spoonfuls of vegetable or almond oil, which both contain sulfur (another natural tick repellent). To make a repellent that will also deter fleas, mix in a few spoonfuls of lemon juice, citrus oil, or peppermint oil, which will all repel ticks and fleas while also creating a scented repellent.

Spray onto the pet’s dry coat, staying away from sensitive areas including eyes, nose, mouth, and genitals. When outdoors for an extended period, spray this solution on two to three times per day. When pets are outdoors generally to use the restroom only, spray the solution onto the animal’s coat once per day.

Repellent for Humans

A simple homemade repellent can be made with a few inexpensive household ingredients. In a spray bottle, mix 2 cups of distilled white vinegar and 1 cup of water. To make a scented solution so you do not smell like bitter vinegar all day, add 20 drops of your favorite essential oil or bath oil. Eucalyptus oil is a calm, soothing scent that also works as a tick repellent, while peppermint and citrus oils give off a strong crisp scent that also repel ticks.

After mixing the solution, spray onto clothing, skin, and hair before going outdoors. Reapply every four hours to keep ticks at bay, and examine the skin and hair when returning home to make sure no ticks are on the body.

source: http://www.ehow.com

About these ads