Homemade Tick Repellent

von KumasonCo . April 24, 2016

Ticks will be repelled by the smell of vinegar alone but there are other ingredients you can add to the vinegar to make it even better. You can use either apple cider vinegar or white distilled vinegar. Adding vegetable or almond oil will also deter ticks because it contains sulfur which they don't like. Below are some versions of home made flea and tick repellents that I find work really well. The nice thing about making a home made flea and tick repellent is that it is safe, easy, cheap and effective. Plus, most people have the ingredients right in their home.

Before making your tick repellent, you will need a spray bottle.

When you are ready to begin using your home made repellent, spray it carefully onto your pet's dry coat always avoiding the eyes, nose, mouth, ears and genital areas. When I want to administer the repellent to my dog's head, ears and belly, I simply spray the repellent onto a paper towel and then wipe those areas. You can reuse the same paper towel the next day by adding more repellent. If you go on a hike through the woods and are outdoors for an extended period of time, you can apply the repellent every 4 hours. I usually just put it on in the morning for our daily walk.

It's also a good habit before you enter your home, to check your pet and yourself for ticks. Wearing light colored clothing with long sleeves is also a good preventative measure as is pulling your socks over your pant legs. While this may look silly, there is no way the ticks can crawl up your pant legs. If possible, stay away from high grasses as the ticks will jump off the grasses onto you and your pet. I always carry a tick removal key so that if I spot a tick, I can easily remove it.

Below is a photo of two of my tick models. They are the same type of tick, but one is engorged. Look at how big it is!

When making your repellent, there are two basic kinds: water-based which can be sprayed on the skin or clothing which are non oily, and oil-based. The oil-based formula lasts longer. If you can find a glass spray bottle, that would be best because essential oils can leach chemicals from some plastics. Remember to always shake your bottle before using. The following versions of flea and tick repellents can be used on humans too. I find it helpful to label the bottle so that when I make more, the ingredients and amounts are on there.

Version #1

Ingredients:
Mix into a spray bottle:
1 cup water
2 cups distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 tsps. vegetable or almond oil

Version #2
Mix into a spray bottle:
1 cup water
2 cups distilled white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
2 tsps. vegetable or almond oil
Add 15-20 drops of peppermint or citrus oil.

Version #3
1 drop of Rose Geranium Oil in between your dogs shoulder blades and the base of his tail.

Keep in mind that these are versions I use on my dog. He is a 117 pound Akita. If you have a smaller toy type dog, you may want to check with your veterinarian before using.

When making your repellent, there are two basic kinds: water-based which can be sprayed on the skin or clothing which are non oily, and oil-based. The oil-based formula lasts longer.