I dug deep in my herbal formula books for this recipe out of desperation, given that a few friends of mine live in the epicenter of the tick-generated Lyme disease epidemic. I tested the essential oil that is recommended for ticks, Rose Geranium, by putting a few drops—no more!— on our dogs’ collars, to see if it would repel ticks. Lo and behold, we went from 20 ticks a day on each dog, to none. The second best essential oil for repelling ticks is American Pennyroyal (also called tickweed).
* 2 tablespoons vegetable or nut oil (almond oil contains sulfur, a repellent in its own right)
* 10 to 25 drops Rose Geranium essential oil
Combine the ingredients in a glass jar; shake to blend.
Makes: 2 tablespoons
Shelf Life: 6 months
Dab a few drops on your skin or clothing, making sure to avoid eyes.
Caution
Skip the Pennyroyal if there is anyone pregnant (including pets) in the home, as it can induce miscarriage. And as always, use essential oils with caution as they can burn the skin and harm eyes. Don't use these essential oils around cats.Helpful Hints
* Palmerosa is a sister essential oil to Rose Geranium, and also repels ticks. It is cheaper, and sometimes easier to find than Rose Geranium.
* Another good repellent that also worked on our dogs, is to eat garlic pills (but don't give garlic to cats). A number of people have written me to say that they have had good luck with their dogs and themselves, by keeping to the garlic pill eating regimen every day.
* The Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP) reported in their winter of 1996 Journal of Pesticide Reform that nymphal ticks are reduced from 72.7 to 100 percent when dead leaves are removed from the forest areas surrounding residential areas.
