{"id":52640,"date":"2022-07-11T11:19:06","date_gmt":"2022-07-11T15:19:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/?p=52640"},"modified":"2026-01-26T11:05:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T16:05:13","slug":"natural-tick-repellent","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.singlecare.com\/blog\/natural-tick-repellent\/","title":{"rendered":"6 ways to repel ticks naturally"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tick season is here, and that means it\u2019s time to break out the tick repellent, cut down high grass, clear brushy areas, and become an expert at examining your skin for critters after being outdoors. After all, prevention is one of the best ways to protect yourself from serious tick-borne diseases like Lyme disease, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, ehrlichiosis, and alpha-gal syndrome<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A critical component of a tick prevention plan is repelling ticks before they have a chance to attach. Most conventional tick repellents contain active ingredients like<\/span> DEET, picaridin, and permethrin, which work well, but some natural remedies for warding off these pesky parasites can also work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Should you use natural tick repellents?<\/span><\/h2>\n

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone. Many of these ingredients are not found in natural products.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Natural tick repellents are mostly compounds that are found in plants that seem to naturally repel ticks and insects, according to<\/span> Ken Perry, MD<\/span><\/a>, an emergency medicine attending physician in South Carolina<\/span>.<\/span> Natural repellents are less studied, says <\/span>Chantel Strachan, MD,<\/span><\/a> an internal medicine and primary care physician at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York. They have been shown to have a short duration of effectiveness\u2014approximately less than two hours.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cChoosing a natural tick repellent over a synthetic one can be done if you are in an area with a low tick infestation,\u201d Dr. Strachan says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, synthetic repellents, like DEET, offer longer lasting protection. The higher the concentrations of DEET, the longer the protection. When used in an extended-release fashion, she says this can provide about 12 hours of protection.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

All that said, people who are at high risk for contracting tick-borne illness should likely avoid natural tick repellents, Dr. Strachan says. For example, if you\u2019re in the Northeast and you will be outdoors in grassy areas for long periods of time, you should probably avoid using natural tick repellent.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Another reason to avoid natural tick repellents is allergies, says Dr. Perry. For example, an allergy to eucalyptus is a red flag to avoid natural tick repellents with this ingredient. If you have allergies, Dr. Perry recommends consulting with your doctor or a pharmacist to ensure that these products are not a risk for allergic reactions.<\/span><\/p>\n

6 natural tick repellents for humans\u00a0<\/span><\/h2>\n

If allergies to natural ingredients are not a concern and you are at low risk for contracting a tick-borne illness, you might want to give natural repellent ingredients a try.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Like conventional products, apply natural tick repellents to your clothing or skin before going outdoors. Here are six ideas for natural tick repellents and tips for avoiding tick exposure and treating tick bites if they do occur.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

1. Oil of lemon eucalyptus<\/span><\/h3>\n

Oil of lemon eucalyptus is a common plant-based mosquito repellent that is also used for tick prevention, according to <\/span>Pennsylvania State University College of Agricultural Sciences<\/span><\/a>. It is considered safer than many synthetic chemicals, but it\u2019s not as natural as pure botanicals. However, this ingredient is not recommended for children under 3 years old. You can find oil of lemon eucalyptus in many commercial tick sprays, insect repellent products, or as a bug spray.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Nootkatone\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Nootkatone, a naturally occurring ingredient, is a component of essential oil in grapefruit skin and Alaska yellow cedar trees. According to the <\/span>CDC<\/span><\/a>, nootkatone can be added to insect repellents for people and pets to keep ticks, mosquitoes, and other biting bugs away for hours. Unfortunately, since nootkatone was just recently approved by the CDC and EPA, it may not be readily available in tick repellents quite yet. However, you can try natural repellents with grapefruit oil.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

3. Cedarwood oil<\/span><\/h3>\n

Cedarwood oil is a pleasant-smelling ingredient often used in soaps, perfumes, and deodorants. And while humans may enjoy the smell, insects do not. In fact, cedar oil is known for its ability to repel ticks, according to <\/span>one study<\/span><\/a>. More specifically, researchers found that cedarwood oil actively repelled hard tick nymphs, with the repellency being as effective as DEET on <\/span>I. scapularis<\/span><\/i> nymphs. Cedarwood oil is found in many commercial tick sprays and insect repellent products.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Citronella\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n

Citronella is best known for its powerful scent, which can off mosquitos during hot summer nights. But this essential oil may also help with tick prevention. According to a <\/span>study<\/span><\/a>, a mixture of 1.5% each of citronella and creeping thyme showed higher repellency against dermacentor reticulatus ticks than individual essential oils at a concentration of 3%. You can find citronella in many commercial tick sprays and insect repellent products.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Geranium oil<\/span><\/h3>\n

Geranium oil and rose geranium essential oil provide an easy and safe way to repel ticks on humans and pets. One <\/span>study<\/span><\/a> found that 10 essential oils of geranium have repellent activity against nymphs of the lone star tick. You can find geranium essential oil in many commercial tick sprays and insect repellent products.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

6. Other essential oils<\/span><\/h3>\n

Dr. Strachan says natural tick repellents are often made from essential oils. \u201cIt is thought that ticks are sensitive to these smells and avoid them,\u201d she says.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Some other common essential oils found in natural repellents include:<\/span><\/p>\n