Stay Safe From Ticks With These Simple Ingredients

Ticks are a valid threat in every household. They lurk in the garden, hide in the house, and prey on your pets. Come spring, nobody is safe from the pesky pests. But you can protect yourself and your family with a simple homemade solution that not only repels but also kills the bugs. Whether you're dealing with hard ticks or soft ticks, you can always rustle up an effective repellent from simple ingredients in the kitchen and pantry. If you're partial to essential oils or are well stocked on vinegar and bleach, then you already have enough to fight off ticks.

There are many species of ticks you might come across and none of them are safe for humans or animals. They include American dog ticks, blacklegged ticks, brown dog ticks, lone star ticks, soft ticks, and Rocky Mountain wood ticks, among others. The pests are the primary cause of a wide variety of diseases that include Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Colorado tick fever, and tick-borne relapsing fever (TBRF), to name but a few. Read more to find out which ingredients can keep you safe from ticks, their nasty bites, and the pathogens they carry.

Boric acid is an essential ingredient in many products, such as dish soap, laundry detergent, pesticides, and herbicides. But the mineral also kills both adult and larvae ticks. To apply it around the house, sprinkle the boric acid powder deep within the pile of carpets and rugs and leave it for at least three weeks at a time. Other places to apply the mineral powder include under the fridge, stove, and closet, inside cracks in the wall, and around drainage pipes. In the garden, ticks prefer plants such as hibiscus and azalea. Spreading the powder on dry soil at the base of these plants and bushes will control the pests.

Boric acid is toxic to the ticks that ingest it. It damages their digestive and nervous systems. But the powder is also quite abrasive when it comes into contact with the bugs. It destroys the exoskeletons of hard ticks and leaves them vulnerable to dehydration. However, extra care should be taken when applied around pets and children. If used to control ticks inside of rugs, always brush off the excess powder on top of the rug. The mineral is also toxic to plants, so make sure to remove all traces of the powder from the soil before watering the plants.

When it comes to disposing of a tick without making a mess, rubbing alcohol is both convenient and safe. But unlike other ingredients, rubbing alcohol is a targeted method of exterminating ticks that you have already captured and secured. To apply it effectively, you'll need a small container with a lid such as a cup. If the tick is attached to the skin, then you'll need to extract it with a pair of tweezers. Once the tick is out, dab a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol and clean the bite area. Adding some alcohol to the cup, drop the tick in the liquid and put the lid back on. You can apply the same treatment to any tick you find on your clothes or your pets.

Rubbing alcohol contains 70% isopropyl alcohol and it will put an end to ticks. It kills both nymphs and adult ticks quickly by dehydrating their body. But for that to work, the bug has to be fully submerged in the liquid. Isopropyl alcohol shouldn't be used to force an attached tick out of the skin. Doing so could cause the tick to spit toxins and pathogens into the wound.

The oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) is extracted from the leaves of the lemon eucalyptus tree and has little to do with either lemon or eucalyptus essential oil. OLE has a fresh-smelling scent that fights off ants naturally, but you can also use it to repel ticks. Before you apply OLE, you'll need to dilute it with water or a carrier oil. To prepare an effective yet safe spray, add 15 drops of OLE to ½ cup of water. To get the oil to mix into the water, add 3 milliliters of solubol to the mixture and stir well. Fill a spray bottle with the solution and apply it to yourself before getting into an area infested with ticks.

OLE can only repel ticks, but it doesn't kill them. Also, keep the spray bottle with you when you go out since it requires fresh applications every couple of hours. Although it's safe for most people, it shouldn't be applied to children below three years old. Before you spray yourself with the oil mixture, test it on a small part of your hand and check that it doesn't irritate your skin. Never apply the oil under your clothes.

Whether growing in the garden or hanging neatly in the pantry, garlic is a potent repellent against many insects. And one of those insects it repels is ticks. When garlic spray is applied to the exposed skin, it will keep ticks away and protect you against their bites. To prepare the homemade garlic spray, peel and finely mince three bulbs of garlic and add them to 1 cup of water in a bowl. Add 2 teaspoons of mineral oil and 1 teaspoon of dish soap to the bowl, mix well, and set them aside overnight. In the morning, strain the mixture, then fill a spray bottle with the liquid. You can also apply it to pets and spray it in the garden or lawn for protection.

Garlic contains sulfur compounds that not only repel but also kill the eggs, larvae, and adult ticks. And since the pests can smell the strong odors of garlic, they'll avoid any area treated with this spray. As with other homemade remedies, test the garlic oil spray on a small patch of the skin first and wait a few minutes. If it doesn't trigger any itching or skin irritation, then it's safe to apply it. Always avoid spraying it near the eyes, nose, or mouth of humans or animals.

Apple cider vinegar is another ingredient with an odor that ticks find too offensive. Even distilled white vinegar will work in a pinch. It's a safe repellent to apply to dogs to prevent tick bites and infections. Preparing an apple cider vinegar spray is quite straightforward. Add 1 cup of vinegar to 4 cups of water and stir well. To reduce the acidity of the mixture and make it safer to apply to the skin, mix in 3 tablespoons of aloe vera and fill a spray bottle. Spray the dog's coat before going out on a hike or allowing them to play in a garden infested with ticks. Also, apply the potent spray to pieces of furniture and nooks and crannies that might attract the pests.

There are many brilliant ways you should be using vinegar to get rid of pests. But against ticks, vinegar sprays are just repellents that won't control or kill the bugs. The acidic liquid can also be used to remove a tick attached to your dog. Soaking a cotton ball in undiluted vinegar and applying it to the tick is a good way to get it off the animal. You can also add vinegar to your dog's drinking water. Mixing 1 teaspoon of vinegar into 4 cups of water will make the pet naturally repel ticks without having to spray them regularly.

Both citronella and thyme oils are known to repel ticks with different levels of efficacy. So combining both ingredients can help you maximize your success at deterring various species of hard and soft ticks. There are different types of thyme oils on the market, but both red thyme and creeping thyme oils are the most effective when dealing with the bugs. To make the spray, add 15 drops of citronella oil and 5 drops of thyme oil to a cup of water. To help the oil disperse in the water, add a teaspoon of dish soap and mix well. Fill a spray bottle with the liquid and apply it to the exposed skin before venturing outside.

Thyme oil contains carvacrol and thymol, and citronella oil contains citronellol and geraniol. All of these compounds work together efficiently to repel ticks and keep them from crawling on your skin. However, exposure to thymol can cause irritation to the skin, nose, or eyes. So avoid inhaling the spray or applying it near the eyes. For safety reasons, test the spray on a part of the leg or arm before applying it to make sure it won't irritate the skin.

If spraying chemicals on yourself, your pets, and your furniture isn't an ideal way to deal with ticks, then food-grade diatomaceous earth is the eco-friendly solution you want. The white powder is a surefire way to kill ticks around the house. More importantly, it doesn't require mixing or preparing. Just pouring the powder in the corners, on windowsills, and under the furniture is enough to safeguard the place. You can also rub the powder into the fur of your pets to ensnare and terminate ticks. Diatomaceous earth doesn't contain chemicals that contaminate the environment and is safe to apply around the house, on the lawn, and on animals.

Diatomaceous earth is a mechanical way of killing ticks. When the bugs come into contact with the grainy powder, the sharp edges of the grains damage their body leading to dehydration and death. Make sure you're using food-grade diatomaceous earth and not feed-grade or industrial-grade products. The food-grade product is the safest one to use around people and animals. Also, keep in mind that the powder is only effective when it's dry, so if it gets wet, apply it again on dry surfaces. Don't use it on animals with sensitive skin and always wear a mask when applying it to avoid inhaling the fine material.