When we moved into the woods a few months back, I realized very quickly we would need a natural tick, mosquito, and flea repellent. There is a lake close by. The amount of bugs, insects, creepy crawlies is unbelievable. My 3 boys (7,10, 11) are getting used to them. When we first moved in we were being attacked by ticks. I just knew I had to come up with a solution quickly!
How I came up with this recipe for Natural Tick, Mosquito, and Flea Repellent
I pulled out a bottle of stuff I bought at the pet store that was safe for dog and for humans too. I bought it for my dog thinking we could beat a spell of fleas over the counter. I didn’t end up using the second bottle I bought. I still had it lying around and thought maybe we could use it on ourselves. Half way through the week and through the bottle, I realized that I would have to figure out how to make this myself. The bottle costs $20 for 32 FL OZ. It only took us about a week to use the entire bottle. I surely couldn’t spend $20 bucks a week on this stuff. So, I did what I usually do when I want to make something myself, I simply look at the ingredients!
That’s right I look at the bottle to see what was in there. I saw peppermint oil, and clove oil. I knew I could make something with essential oils. It is pretty easy these days to find a Whole Foods Market, or an Earth Fare, or other natural foods market where they sell essential oils. They come in small bottles but don’t be alarmed, you will only use a tiny bit of them for this recipe.I knew I wanted something that would deter mosquitos as well as ticks if possible and if it worked on fleas that would be a bonus. So I looked in the cabinet to see what I had on hand. I noticed I had citronella.
Affiliate links ahead! See disclaimer.
I don’t even remember buying it or ever using it. Citronella candles are used for mosquitos right? So, I looked more into it, and saw that there were a couple of studies saying it was about as good as deet. Mixing up the natural tick, mosquito, and flea repellent is a breeze and takes probably under 2 minutes, including grabbing the supplies. I also did a bit of more research. Learn more about citronella, peppermint and clove oil too. I found a video where a lady put peppermint oil on a tick, and it seemed to die, although I can’t be sure. Also, look at more uses for peppermint oil!
IMPORTANT NOTE AND DISCLAIMERS:
Speaking of animals. Is this safe for animals? You should ask a veterinarian. They may talk you into buying an expensive prescription, like my dog is on, but hey it is pretty foolproof it seems.
This repellent is just that it aids in repelling fleas, ticks and mosquitos. It is not going to repel every single insect or bug. Ticks or others may still get on you and bite. Some insects/bugs carry diseases. If you need an absolute solution you should seek other sources. You are responsible for your own actions. Take actions at your own risk.
Also, this spray must be applied very often, every hour or so. Make sure to spray shoes well. Use common sense and don’t spray it in your eyes. Remember, that you are responsible for all of your actions! Consult a physician before applying this repellent.
Not meant to treat, diagnose, cure, or prevent any disorders or diseases. Take care when using essential oils. Never put undiluted essential oils directly on the skin.
My observations on how well this repellent works…
Before use we were seeing about 7 or 8 ticks on each person give or take a few. When spray was applied about every hour, we only saw about 1 to 2 ticks per person. It is a significant difference but not absolute. If you want an absolute solution consult your physician. Remember take action at your own risk. See disclaimer.
Get essential oils from a natural food store or online. I linked to Amazon. These are affiliate links! See disclaimer.
Natural Tick, Mosquito, and Flea Repellent
You will need 32 FL OZ bottle.
- 25 drops Peppermint Essential Oil
- 15 drops Clove Essential Oil
- 5 drops Citronella Essential Oil
- 1-2 tsp of natural degreasing soap or just Dawn dish liquid
- Enough water to fill up the rest of the bottle
Mix together the ingredients in a 32 FL OZ Bottle, place the top on and swish it around a bit. That is all there is to it!
OTHER OPTIONS:
There are a couple of other good repellents you may not find in the store that seem to work pretty well.
One is called Picaridin. – This works up to 12 hours on mosquitoes, ticks (14 hours for lotion); up to 8 hours against biting flies, gnats, chiggers, and sand flies.
The other is called Permethrin. – Works on ticks, chiggers, mites and mosquitoes. It says on Amazon, in the product description, it lasts up to 6 weeks (or 6 washings.)
Take action at your own risk. This repellent is not meant to cure, treat, diagnose, or prevent any diseases. Seek physician care before trying this repellent. Affiliate links are in this blog post. See disclaimer.
Let Me Know What You Think
I would love to know what you think, Please leave me a comment or a question below… Thank you for visiting. 🙂
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This post was shared on The Homesteader Hop.
So it doesn’t say so but I’m assuming you top it off wit water correct?
Yes, I’m sorry. Not sure how that got left out. Thanks so much for pointing it out, I updated the recipe to show the water included!
is this safe to put on my pets?
Here is a quote directly from the post, “Speaking of animals. Is this safe for animals? You should ask a veterinarian. They may talk you into buying an expensive prescription, like my dog is on, but hey it is pretty foolproof it seems.”
Your Vet, is the only person who can safely tell you if this can be used on your pet. I am not a veterinarian, and cannot give this advice. Sorry, but when you need professional advice seek a professional!
What is the dish soap for?
If this recipe was just oil and water, the oil would just float to the top. Oil is less dense than water, therefore it floats. Oil and water also don’t mix because water molecules are MORE attracted to other water molecules than to oil molecules. Soap molecules are attracted to both water and oil. Thus, helping to mix them together.
Science! Hope this helps Lori!