Now that warm weather is finally here, so are the ticks, those nasty blood-sucking creepy crawlers. Ticks are found in wooded areas, tall grass, shrubs and even in your lawn. We keep our lawn mowed and one of our dogs still gets ticks.
They like to hide in places that have significant moisture and are out of direct sunlight. Trying to avoid these places can help prevent tick bites. Some people put cedarwood chips around all the areas in your yard that you want to keep tick free. The nasty bugs don’t like the smell of cedarwood so it helps keep ticks away. If you can keep livestock in your area, chickens and guinea fowl consume ticks like crazy.
I don’t like the products in the stores, they are expensive and don’t really work very well. I use these repellents on our dogs and us regularly and so far this year not one tick!
The following recipes are very inexpensive to make with ingredients you already have on hand.
Natural Tick/ Flea Repellents For Dogs
Citrus oil, geranium oil or peppermint oil all repel ticks because they can’t stand the smell.
Tick and Flea Spray
Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 2 cups apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
- 2 tsps. of vegetable oil or almond oil
- 1- 2 tsp lemon juice
- 3-4 drops citrus oil, geranium oil or peppermint oil
- Spray bottle
Directions
- Add 1 cup of water to a spray bottle and 2 cups of apple cider vinegar. Ticks hate the smell and taste of vinegar and will easily be repelled by this ingredient alone.
- Add two tsp of vegetable or almond oil, they contain sulfur which is another natural tick repellent.
- Then mix in 1-2 tsp of lemon juice and 3-4 drops of citrus oil, geranium oil or peppermint oil. All repel ticks and fleas and creates a scented repellent.
- Place the top onto the bottle and shake it well.
Spray onto the dogs’ dry coat staying away from sensitive areas including eyes, nose, mouth, and genitals. When outdoors for an extended period, spray this solution two to three times per day otherwise once per day is fine.
Flea collar
A flea collar is a great way to ward off fleas without always having to reapply something topically it also keeps the flea control constant and steady.
Ingredients
- 3-5 drops of cedar oil or lavender oil
- 1-3 tablespoons of distilled water
- Bandana or your dog’s collar
- an eyedropper (optional)
Directions
- Dilute 2-3 drops of cedar oil or lavender oil in 1-3 tablespoons of distilled water.
- Using an eyedropper apply 5-10 drops of the mixture to the bandana and rub the sides of the fabric together then tie it around your dog’s neck.
- Reapply oil mixture to the collar or bandana once a week.
Flea comb
This recipe contains lemon and lemon contains limonene, which is a chemical that kills and repels fleas but is harmless to us or our pets.
Ingredients
- 1 freshly sliced up lemon
- 1 pot of fresh water
- a comb, sponge or brush
Directions
- Boil a pot of water and add slices of a freshly cut lemon to it.
- Turn off the heat after the lemons have been added and cover the pot letting the mixture steep overnight.
- The next day dip a comb or pet brush in the liquid (make sure it’s sufficiently cool) and run it through their hair. A sponge works as well, especially with a short-haired breed.
Flea spray
This is a great spray to repel fleas from your pets and their bedding.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white vinegar or 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 quart fresh water
- 2-3 drops of lavender or cedar oil
- spray bottle
Directions
- The essential oil in combination with vinegar repels fleas, like ticks they can’t stand the smell. Add 2-3 drops after you add 1 cup of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar to 1 quart of fresh water.
- Fill your spray bottle and mist your dog being careful not to get it in their eyes, nose, or ears. To get up around the neck and behind the ears and their chin, dampen a soft cloth with the mixture and wipe it on.
- Spray your pet’s bedding and around it with this mixture lightly as well.
Cats
Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a naturally occurring rock that is made up of the fossilized remains of ancient hard-shelled algae called diatoms. DE is an effective and safe means of repelling fleas. While harmless to humans or pets it is lethal to fleas because of its tiny but sharp edges that can slice right through the pest’s tough, waxy exoskeleton. The fleas then die of dehydration. It is important that you only use food grade diatomaceous earth-any other kind is not approved for use on animals or humans not to mention it will be too finely ground to kill the fleas. Food grade can be safely used externally and internally in both humans and animals which means that when your cat goes to lick itself off DE won’t hurt it.
DE Shampoo
Ingredients
- Food grade Diatomaceous Earth
- Shaker bottle
Directions
- Pour some DE into a shaker bottle.
- Sprinkle onto your cat’s fur and rub it in so it’s not just sitting on the surface, avoid getting too close to their nose.
- Follow this by dusting your pet’s bedding after you’ve washed it and rubbing it in well.
- You can do this treatment on your cat once a day and on the bedding once a week.
- Sprinkle DE on your carpets and furniture, wait an hour then vacuum.
Flea comb
This is very similar to the flea comb for dogs and while some cats may find the scent of citrus unappealing the way this is prepared can lessen the intensity of the smell to their sensitive noses (but not to the fleas) because you don’t use straight lemon juice. Fleas hate the overwhelming smell of lemon and it seems to help deter them.
Combining the lemon with a fine-toothed flea comb you get the pests out with the comb while leaving a lingering scent of lemon that will keep them from coming back.
Ingredients
- A fine-toothed comb or flea comb
- 3 lemons chopped
- 3 cups of water
- A spray bottle
- A pot
Directions
- Pour 3 cups of water in a pot and add 3 chopped lemons.
- Bring this to a boil and then remove from heat letting the lemons steep in the water for 3 hours. After it is done steeping strain the lemons from the liquid and pour into a spray bottle.
- Lightly mist your cat and go through their fur with the comb dipping the comb in the liquid.
- Do this at least twice a day.
- Mist their bedding down if they don’t seem to mind the smell. Remember if your cat seems to think the lemon is unpleasant to try something else.
Apple Cider Vinegar Bath or Spray
Applying this during a bath or as a spray does not change a cat’s internal Ph. levels and is a good way to naturally remove fleas especially on kittens.
Ingredients
- Spray bottle
- Several cups of Apple Cider Vinegar
- Some very mild shampoo that is safe for cats (optional)
Directions
- Fill a spray bottle with apple cider vinegar applying directly to the coat and leave on for 5 minutes before rinsing it off and following the bath with a flea comb.
- Bathe your cat, either with just ACV or ACV and mild shampoo mixed together. Use a half and half shampoo to vinegar ratio and suds the cat’s head first when you place the cat in water, the first thing fleas will do is run-up to the head.
- Work the shampoo blend into their fur well and let it sit for 5 minutes rinsing out thoroughly and follow the treatment with a flea comb.
Dogs & Cats
One supplement that has the additional benefit of warding off fleas is brewer’s yeast. Brewer’s yeast helps deter the pesky ticks from dogs and cats.
Using natural, organic ingredients for tick repellents is far more effective than using chemical sprays. Remember, any spray you put on your pets will be absorbed by their skin into their bloodstreams. That could cause toxic reactions for your pets.