Homemade Tick Repellent

One of the best things about Spring is spending time outdoors in and around the woods… One of the worst things about Spring is the return of ticks and mosquitoes. Did I mention that I also hate using bug spray? Lucky for me I’ve been gifted with a high tolerance for bug bites and for the most part get zero reaction from a bite; however with the increased prevalence of tick born diseases over the past few years and a horrible scare with my pup two summers ago I’m planning to try experimenting with natural tick/insect repellents this summer.

Here is the recipe that had found on Outdoor Life and am planning to use as a start for my experiment. I will report back with results. Has anyone else tried homemade repellents? Did they work?

Mix
1 pint distilled white vinegar
1 pint water
25 drops of tea tree oil
25 drops of lavender essential oil
Shake well and put in a spray bottle. Use frequently, like every 3 -4 hours when outside during tick season.”

I’d be really curious if you did this pseudo-scientifically.

Apply your regular bug dope to one arm/leg, and the home made stuff to the other side and see if there is a difference.

Looking forward to hearing your results. I got to do something. The ticks are so bad by the cabin I don’t even consider mushroom hunting there or going into brushy cover for fishing expeditions. Even during warm grouse hunting days I usually pick a few up.
I react terribly to wood tick bites. All they have to do is nibble and I have an itchy bump for weeks. Longer if they bury their head.

chamberschamps wrote:

I’d be really curious if you did this pseudo-scientifically.

Apply your regular bug dope to one arm/leg, and the home made stuff to the other side and see if there is a difference.

The only problem with this idea is I never really know which leg they come from, they just seem to show up. My plan is to try going out with the spray one day and to try bug repellent another day and see if I notice a difference in total ticks.

A couple of the things I do already are to tuck my jeans into my socks before heading out into the woods (looking like a dork is better than the feeling of a tick on the inside of your pant leg) and then undressing/hanging clothes in the garage then taking a quick shower when I get home.

With warmer weather recently I ‘ve been noticing the increase in two pests: deer in Ma’s tulips and ticks. I use a spray and that keeps the ticks at bay. I had the big target bite a couple years ago and went thru he// with that. I don’t want a repeat of it. The meds to treat the infected bite is bad news.

We live in the middle of Rochester and I still get ticks in the yard, most likely migrating there from the parkland behind us. I mowed the yard and portion of the adjacent park land I do as a volunteer and had three ticks when I changed clothes. Been plenty wet around here so I expect it to be a beanner tick year.

I’ve had Lymes twice, and I’m as anal retentive as you can get about ticks. Fortunately, both cases for me have been pretty mild, but it still sucked. If I have to spend time in the woods this spring, I’ll be head to toe in Deet and my clothes will be sprayed in Permethrin.

Long sleeve white t-shirts to see them better, and pant legs tucked into socks and maybe even duct taped to keep the little dirtballs out. Both times it’s been a tiny nymph that caused it.

Deer ticks are bad news. I worked east of Hinckley, MN for a summer, where those surrounding counties have the 2nd highest incidence of tick-borne illnesses in the US. Then, if you were bitten by a tick, you got a prescription for green antibiotic pills, just to be on the safe side.

Over the years I’ve used a variety of tick repellents with varying degrees of success, but never anything home-made. It’ll be interesting to see how it turns out Will, as i’ve always been told it needs permethrin.

I do like this stuff in terms of a liquid repellent – https://sawyer.com/products/permethrin-premium-insect-repellent/. It can be used to treat your clothing, but only lasts a few washes. For the most part, it should get you through a season, but it does eventually wear off in strength, even if you don’t wash your clothes often.

I prefer this stuff from Gamehide for the morel and turkey hunts I do in the spring – http://gamehide.com/product-category/elimitick/. They say it lasts 70 washings, but even if it lasts half of that I’m more likely to wear it out than wash it out. It just easiest for me and has proven really effective the last 5 years or so that I’ve been using it. Before using it, I’ve had two bouts with tick-borne illnesses, once with Lymes, and its terrible. So weak that I couldn’t open ziplock bags with my fingers, walk up and down stairs, etc. Anything to avoid that!

Joel

I can’t warn people enough about how important it is to protect yourself from ticks this time of year. I was diagnosed with “Chronic Lyme” about a month ago after struggling with a multitude of crazy symptoms that over 20 doctors could not figure out the cause for. I can’t stress how important it is to get checked or take antibiotics for a short period of time if you think you have been bitten by a deer tick. I did not get a bulls eye around any tick bite and only around 60% of people actually do get the bulls eye rash. I have borrelia burgdorferi aka(lyme), and two co-infections Bartonellia and Babesia. I’m on three different antibiotics right now and will most likely need to be on them for a year or more. The goal is to get me to remission and I will now always have lyme and can never be cured. I wouldn’t wish what I have gone through on anyone. I just know that a lot of people on this board are like me and spend a lot of time outdoors in the spring and you need to know that you don’t always get the bulls eye rash. If your are bitten by a tick and then have any of these symptoms; extreme fatigue, headache, flu like symptoms, aches all over, rapid heart, blurry vision, orthostatic issues or just feel off. Get to a doctor or more importantly a Lyme Literate Doctor LLMD ASAP. As I found regular doctors don’t know jack about this disease. I just want everyone to know what I didn’t know, you don’t need to get a bulls eye rash to get this very serious disease! From what I gather permithium is the best there is and you’re right Will tucking the pants and looking like a dork is better than being screwed up in the head the rest of your life. Take care guys.

Shammy,

Something weird. The doctors around here don’t flinch very easily. I have gone to the doctor twice with horrible looking tick bites. Really messed up looking since the head came off inside and neither time did they prescribe anything for me.
The Lyme wound must really be unique? I know about the bulls eye but thought that didn’t appear every time?

Exactly what I’m talking about. Most doctors know the old protocol for Lyme;…bulls eye rash equals antibiotics. This is why chronic Lyme Disease is on such an uptick. There is NOTHING unique about a tick bite besides a bulls eye rash. A lot of people infected do not even know they are bitten. I didn’t get any symptoms until a month later and my eyes just went blurry one day randomly. No flu like symptoms. Then I almost fainted one day a couple weeks after that….then all hell broke loose like three months later in the fall with extreme fatigue and orthostatic issues.

Shammy,
I have a good friend of mine go through a similar experience as yours.
When he finally went to a doctor he was told he and arthritis, which he new was not right. After doing a lot of his own research he realized he had all the symptoms of Lyme disease.
The Family doctors, denied he had it, or didn’t believe he had the symptoms.
He then found a Doctor who specialized in Lyme disease, and was put on a years worth of antibiotics, and I believe he was prescribed a 6 month course after the first year.
Needless to say he went through he//. Also he had the 2 co-infections that you mentioned Bartonellia and Babesia.
Anyone out in the woods, or even in your own yard take some of the precautions mentioned above, this is not something that you want to get.

I worry about it often. I have been very exposed to ticks and bites for 30 years. Ever since I moved here. They are practically non-existent in the lower peninsula of Michigan where I grew up. I have two brothers there that are outdoorsman and they still never see them.

One other thing that is VERY important. The ELISA test is garbage. I tested negative on that 3 times. If its in the beginning of the infection get a Western Blot. There are many many many false negatives with this disease in regards to testing and at the same time there is no such thing as a false positive. Sorry I’m hijacking the thread. Just thought I had to share.

In regards to the home brew. In my research deet will not fully protect you from these dam ticks. It would be hard to make a home brew strong enough I think but it is possible. With permithium, after dried, if they land on your clothes they die.

Great post, Shammy. It’s an important subject and everyone has to make their own decision on what to use, but it’s hugely important to do everything you can to prevent lymes.

After coming down with Lymes in the 1990s when few knew what it was and doctors, especially, were way behind the curve as far as diagnosis, I can verify what guys are saying even now: It’s hell. Do what you can to avoid it.

Personally, I go with DEET and the other commercial tick repellents. I’m using them early and often and I spray the inside of my pants as well as the outside of clothing. Yes, it looks a little awkward taking off pants and turning them inside out to respray at noon, but I don’t care. Take no chance with this.

Be careful out there.

Grouse

Awesome stuff guys.

I have gone through a couple of cycles of preventative antibiotics after having a couple bite reactions (actually I spent the entire Scatter Rap challenge two years ago wearing a face-mask and gloves) but have been extremely lucky to have literally hundreds of tick bites and dozens of deer tick bites without getting severely sick… this conversation is making me rethink whether trying a homemade approach is worth it. As much as I hate chemicals this is one of those times however where an exception is warranted.

One other interesting piece of info I found out two years ago when my best bud Max came down with a very scary case of Lyme’s is that Frontline is somewhat effective but according to my vet, who I trust immensely, it is not the most effective tick repellent for our area. He recommended K9Advantix and it does seem to work better.

Will

Will Roseberg wrote:

Get to a doctor or more importantly a Lyme Literate Doctor LLMD ASAP. As I found regular doctors don’t know jack about this disease.

I just wanted to cut this piece of info out and let it stand on it’s own… This is very very good information. My father-in-law and others back home have dealt with a chronic Lyme’s that were not diagnosed for even a few years and even knowing that I personally would not have thought to look for a LLMD.

Joel Nelson wrote:

I do like this stuff in terms of a liquid repellent – https://sawyer.com/products/permethrin-premium-insect-repellent/. It can be used to treat your clothing, but only lasts a few washes. For the most part, it should get you through a season, but it does eventually wear off in strength, even if you don’t wash your clothes often.

You can make your own permethrin spray that will last for a few washings.

1 oz of 10% permethrin spray
15 oz of water
spray on clothes and let dry for a day or two. You should be good for a few weeks.

A few notes:
You can get the permethrin at any place that sells livestock supplies like TSC, Fleet Farm, etc or on line. Just make sure that the permethrin is the only active ingredient. Mixes that contain things like Biefferine or Piperonyl Butoxide should be avoided.

Most agricultural blends are oil based and will stain clothing. Try to find one that’s water based if that concerns you.

DO NOT APPLY IT TO YOUR SKIN. I can’t bold this or stress this enough.

Do not wear wet clothing. Allow it to dry before wearing it.

I’m itching all over now just reading this… I hate those little buggers. I had lymes when I was in sixth grade. The most noticeable side effects I had were extreme migranes. I ended up seeing many doctors before they figured it out. Was not a good experience…

Here is what I found on my arm 18 hours after shed hunting in the Spring a couple years ago (tick was still attached…). Did not hesitate to head to doctor’s office. If I remember right the Doc put me on anti-biotics right away regardless on if I was confirmed w/ Lyme’s or not. Lyme’s never showed up…RR

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roosterrouster wrote:

Here is what I found on my arm 18 hours after shed hunting in the Spring a couple years ago (tick was still attached…). Did not hesitate to head to doctor’s office. If I remember right the Doc put me on anti-biotics right away regardless on if I was confirmed w/ Lyme’s or not. Lyme’s never showed up…RR

And I have been turned away by doctors for the EXACT same wound.
The inconsistency is alarming. Next time I find a “tick” doctor.

suzuki wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>roosterrouster wrote:</div>
Here is what I found on my arm 18 hours after shed hunting in the Spring a couple years ago (tick was still attached…). Did not hesitate to head to doctor’s office. If I remember right the Doc put me on anti-biotics right away regardless on if I was confirmed w/ Lyme’s or not. Lyme’s never showed up…RR

And I have been turned away by doctors for the EXACT same wound.
The inconsistency is alarming. Next time I find a “tick” doctor.

A lot of doctors are paranoid about prescribing antibiotics and many don’t understand Lyme’s. Find a doctor that is someone that spends time in the woods – they’re more sensitive to preventing/treating Lyme’s.

As to repellents, go with products labeled AT LEAST 25% DEET, and it’s better to 40% or more if conditions are wet.

With pets, we had a cat that was a tick magnet and all Frontline did was encourage the ticks to get off him when he was in the house so we had ticks climbing the walls. We told the vet’s assistant and she said “Oh, so that’s why we have ticks in our bed…”

Good luck.

Dan

Will Roseberg wrote:

He recommended K9Advantix and it does seem to work better.

In my experience, Advantix works really, really well on dogs, but it is extremely toxic to cats, so if you also have cats, you’re SOL.

Joel Nelson wrote:

I prefer this stuff from Gamehide for the morel and turkey hunts I do in the spring – http://gamehide.com/product-category/elimitick/.

I also picked up some Elimitick clothing from Gamehide recently and was very impressed. Not a single tick in areas where I normally would find 2-4 a day pretty consistently. Even just wearing the socks seemed to really help a lot.

Joel and I found a tick crawling around on my shoe or something and we set it on his elimitick glove and the thing went haywire trying to crawl off his glove! Pretty impressive stuff I must say.

So where can a guy find a LLMD?

blackbay wrote:

So where can a guy find a LLMD?

Just based on a little internet searching here is the best info I could find. I would also try shooting a PM to Shammy and hopefully he can help based on his unfortunate first hand experience.

http://m.chroniclymedisease.com/?url=http://www.chroniclymedisease.com/llmd-referrals

I have been out turkey hunting in the mornings most this week and have pulled 3 off me so far. I’ve never thought much about ticks before, but after reading this thread I will be heading to Wal-Mart during my lunch break to see if they have permithrin. From reading this, I just feel like they are currently crawling on me (but I can’t find them anywhere… must be mental). One thing I do, and will do even more of now, is change my clothes once done hunting before I get into the pickup, and put the clothes in the bed. I have had times before that I don’t notice the ticks until a day or 2 later riding in the pickup.

If you wonder why physicians try to be judicious with antibiotics look up Clostridium difficile infection.

I’ve had Lymes twice. The first time I had the bullseye. The second I just became violently ill, high fever, vomitting constantly. The fatigue was was unlike anything I’ve experianced. It would come and go and I ended up in the hospital for seven days. A lymes test was ordered but never performed. I was discharged after being told it was constipation, I s*#t you not. My white blood cell count was thru the roof. I was home for two days and went back to a different hospital and in less than six hours was on meds and getting better. I still have symptoms almost two years later. Doctors opinions on this horrible disease vary widely. I’m shocked that it isn’t handled better, especially here in tick country.
Just this past weekend I pulled two deerticks off myself. I’m like a magnet for the damn things. Hard to believe something so tiny can cause so much damage. Do whatever you can to avoid this disease.
We tried something this past weekend as far as our dog. Every time she came inside we went over her with a heavy duty lint roller. It removed many many ticks off her.

Eew, I’m not going outside anymore. Is it just a short period during the spring when they bite and infect or do I have to stay indoors until it snows again?

Elimitick clothing… The best stuff ever made!!! I have had mine now sine 2010 and have found two ticks crawling in those 5 years of wear!!! I pulled 12 embedded during the spring turkey and fall bear season before I finally succumbed to getting a pair of pants and a shirt… Since then I have not pulled one out of my body and with the dog, there is probably plenty of chances of her dropping them on us.

We only use Equisect on her when we are going to run deliberately in the woods. Otherwise she brings them in and they leave her for us to find… Rather be pulling off of her than either of us… The Equisect has .09% Pymethrin and other natural repellants and seems to do a reasonable job for her…

Mark