I actually mixed up some last tick season. Don't know if it actually helped repel the ticks because I didn't keep close track and I rarely tromp around in the grass anymore...
The oil is a very concentrated 'essential oil'. These oils are highly concentrated so you only need a little bit when mixing and never put them on your skin at full strength.
I mixed about 3 -5 drops in a small spray bottle.
You probably think it smells disgusting because you are smelling it at full strength. Try mixing just 3-5 drops in a Cup of Water or a carrier oil like Jojoba oil that you can get at a health food store or coop and I bet you will think it smells quite nice.
Have fun!
-------------------- �Pride is concerned with who is right. Humility is concerned with what is right.� - Ezre Taft Benson Posts: 655 | From NC, Exit 88 on the Deer SuperHighway | Registered: Dec 2004
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SunRa
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 3559
posted
the oil blend "Purification" by Young Living is also a good repellent.
I've heard Rose Germanium is effective too...I'm gonna try adding some of it to the Purification oil.
Posts: 1563 | From MA | Registered: Jan 2003
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hardynaka
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Member # 8099
posted
I don't think a very light solution will repell ticks. Bugrepel in the strongest recommended dilutions , didn't repell ticks (daughter was bitten with light and strongest dilutions), so I would go for the stronger versions whenever possible.
I like the smell of Rose geranium. It's not that bad.
I also read palmarosa should do the same. I know regular eucalyptus also repells insects, and one of the solution I use for my daughter is based on eucalyptus (a Chinese eucalyptus though), it is said to have been tested by a Swiss university against ticks.
Also, coconut oil seems to repell ticks (if my memory is good). One product against ticks I bought here was based on a component of coconut oil. But the problem is that coconut oil is not liquid at all temperatures.
Tomorrow I'll be testing the borrelia nosodes potency LM6 on us all, my doctor says it's good to repell ticks (once a week).
I'm also on the Ledum C200, 1x every 2 weeks, also said to help repell ticks (from a pharmacy that produces tick born homeopathic stuff).
The problem with essential oils is that they smell very strong and some people with lyme just can't stand strong fragancies.
Selma
Posts: 1086 | From Switzerland | Registered: Oct 2005
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Vanilla
Unregistered
posted
I use Lemon Eucalyptus oil and also a nice natural Herbal oil with plenty of different kinds of oils in it by a local company called Moonflower. It includes Rosemary Citronella Lavender and pennyroyal etc. They sell it at some of the Marin farmers markets and they make great products.
I do not know if any of these actually work to keep ticks off of you...
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Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
Lymied, you may be quite right about concentrated odors versus the smell of diluted oils. Plus, I'd forgotten that the odors can change when they are applied to skin, clothing, heated, etc. Thanks for pointing that out.
SunRa, I just checked and I do have a small bottle of the ``Purification'' oil. I looked at all of my essential oils and I do have the one called ``RC'' which has 3 or 4 different species of Eucalyptus in it.
Selma, I tend to agree that most oils will have to be fairly concentrated to do any good - such as the 1:1 ratio that Oxygenbabe originally posted on another thread.
It's interesting that both the Borrelia b. nosode and the Ledum 200C are being suggested as `repellants'. This is new to me. If nothing else, though, it sounds like a decent `infection preventative' regimen, especially where you live!
And don't forget that ANY STRONG FRAGRANCE can antidote HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES. Anything from paint thinner to perfumes to essential oils can make the last dose of remedy totally ineffective (it doesn't antidote prior beneficial effects of the remedy - just the most recent dose), so take your remedies well apart from the time you apply any oils. For some very sensitive people, they cannot use essential oils at all when taking homeopathics. Just like some people have no trouble drinking coffee along with taking homeopathics, and others find that ANY coffee at all - even decaf or a bit in flavored ice cream or a cookie - will antidote their remedies.
You know, years ago I grew some of the `scented geraniums' in little pots for awhile..... it seems that many of them are perennial plants (in certain climates)......
I wonder if a person grew their own Rose Geranium plants, they could use either the fresh or dried leaves and rub the actual leaves into their pets' hair to repel ticks? I know cats can become toxic from essential oils so I'm trying to think of alternative ways to help keep my cat `tick free'.
I did read where there are some natural tick collars out there made with Eucalyptus, but collars on cats can be dangerous, unless they are the ``break-away'' type. Might be a good idea for dogs, though.
Another thought..... don't they use cedar shavings in pet bedding to repel ticks and fleas? Or does cedar just repel fleas? (I love the smell of Cedar and Cedar oils!) Oh, I just checked and some cedar oils actually KILL certain insects like ticks and fleas! I'll make another post about it later........
Well, I may dilute some of the oils I have and see how they smell. I don't see enough ticks around here to know if they will work. That will have to be Selma's job.... she's got ticks enough for everybody.
Tracy
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
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Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
Apparently, a lot of Alaska yellow-cedar trees are dying - probably due to less moisture in certain areas - and scientists are trying to figure out what to do with the dead wood...
quote:Massive Alaska yellow-cedar trees contain natural preservatives that repel mosquitoes, kill ticks, and prevent diseases from attacking other trees.
Panella is a biologist with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Vector-borne Infectious Diseases, based out of Fort Collins, Colorado......
Panella and his colleagues have mixed up a repellant from the Alaska yellow-cedar compounds and it has worked for several hours. Yellow-cedar compounds also work against ticks and fleas, Panella said, and have low toxicity to mammals.
The researchers have filed patents on their mixtures as repellants and insecticides, and are talking with businesspeople who are interested in developing and selling the final products.
Some day in the near future, Alaska's most valuable lumber export may also repel its worst summer pest.
quote:Journal of Medical Entomology Article: pp. 957-961 | Abstract | PDF (129K)
Repellent Activity of Fractioned Compounds from Chamaecyparis nootkatensis Essential Oil Against Nymphal Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) Gabrielle Dietrich1,2, Marc C. Dolan1, Javier Peralta-Cruz3, Jason Schmidt1, Joseph Piesman1, Rebecca J. Eisen1, Joseph J. Karchesy4
Preliminary repellent activity of 14 natural products isolated from essential oil components extracted from the heartwood of Alaska yellow cedar, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis (D. Don) Spach., were evaluated against nymphal Ixodes scapularis Say in a laboratory bioassay and compared with technical grade N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (deet). Four hours after treatment, nootkatone and valencene-13-ol had repellent concentration (RC)50 values of 0.0458 and 0.0712% (wt:vol), respectively;
two additional Alaska yellow cedar compounds, nootkatone 1 10 epoxide and carvacrol had reported RC50 values of 0.0858 and 0.112%, respectively. The observed RC50 value for deet was 0.0728% (wt:vol).
Although not statistically significantly more active than deet, the ability of these natural products to repel ticks at relatively low concentrations may represent a potential alternative to synthetic commercial repellents.
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
I vote for oil of lemon eucalyptus also. That, and a soybean/coconut oil based product called "Bite Blocker" are the only natural repellents that have worked for me. (More info here. I have no financial interest in the product.)
Posts: 621 | From US | Registered: Jun 2006
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Vanilla
Unregistered
posted
I wonder if growing Rose Geranium plants in pots on my deck would help with my problem with ticks on my deck or if I should move all potted plants off the deck due to the moisture attracting ticks?
The tick I found yesterday was when I moved a potted plant... it might have been hiding under the damp pot.
Oil of lemon eucalyptus is not that hard to find and reasonable to purchase.
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posted
Someone at Lyme_Aid_Buhner just put in a big plug today for nontoxic products from the All Terrain company at www.allterrainco.com.
They have nontoxic tick repellant spray and lotion, called Herbal Armor, for adults, kids and pets. So far, I've read that the products contain five essential oils. They supposedly give 100% protection for two hours.
Anyone else have experience with these products?
Posts: 13117 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
Ldfighter, I couldn't find anything specifically about ticks at all on the Bite Blocker website, even in the testimonials.
Vanilla, I was kind of wondering the same thing..... I wonder if certain plants can act as deterrents to keep ticks out of certain areas. That's probably too much to hope for.
Robin, did somebody over at the Buhner site say they had used the Herbal Armor and it had worked for ticks?
It is interesting to note that their website says ``All Terrain's products are never tested on animals'', and yet they have a pet spray. (?) I can't find actual ingredients listed anywhere, and I'm very hesitant to use essential oils on cats if it is very concentrated.
Tracy
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
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Truthfinder
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 8512
posted
See Susiecv's post about a natural tick/bug repellant patch using Vitamin B-1..... sounds interesting.....
-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Yes, someone at the Lyme_Aid_Buhner site reported on the All Terrain product and said it did well.
I called the company today. The product contains citronella, peppermint, cedar, lemongrass, geranium and soybean oil. Anyone have any opinions on that mix?
They are sending me some samples, plus it is sold in stores. You can contact them at www.allterrainco.com to find out store names.
Posts: 13117 | From San Francisco | Registered: May 2006
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-------------------- Tracy .... Prayers for the Lyme Community - every day at 6 p.m. Pacific Time and 9 p.m. Eastern Time � just take a few moments to say a prayer wherever you are�. Posts: 2966 | From Colorado | Registered: Dec 2005
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