Natural Tick Repellent

A friend of mine forwarded a CBC news story about ticks arriving early in our part of the world this year.  Thankfully, Gabe has only ever gotten two ticks in his six years on this planet; and Archie has never gotten any.  Still, time to break out the tick repellent!

I have been buying Hartz UltraGuard Plus for a long time, even though it makes me uneasy.  Have you ever gotten that stuff on your own skin?  It feels cold and tingly for hours, not a comfortable feeling.  And, since I wash my hands much more often than my boys get washed, I have no idea how long the cold, tingly feeling lasts for them.  And what if they accidentally get some in their mouths when they're wrestling with each other or something?  Although I'm generally not keen on chemicals, my stance is that some are a necessary evil.  In this case, it's not so much that I was against applying chemicals to their skin as knowing what it felt like to have it on my own skin.

So, I googled, and I found a recipe for a natural tick repellent that has been amended and reposted to a few different sites:

2 tablespoons nut oil (I used almond oil)

10-25 drops rose geranium or palmarosa essential oil (I used palmarosa)

Pour into a glass jar or bottle and shake well.  Re-apply a couple drops to your dog's collar about once a week.  I'll let you know how it works out!