Consumers who are reluctant to use commercial pesticides, such as DEET, on themselves or on their dogs may wish to try homemade eucalyptus tick repellent. Although eucalyptus trees don't grow throughout the world, some supermarkets and natural health stores carry their essence in the form of pure essential oils. Prevention of tick-borne illness requires that you check your pets and yourself for ticks after spending time outdoors, because efficacy of tick repellents may vary.
Instructions
Eucalyptus Leaf Repellent
1. Boil 15 to 25 eucalyptus leaves in one quart of water for approximately 10 minutes. The authors of "Dead Snails Leave No Trails" note that you may need to adjust the number of leaves, because the scent's strength may vary between each eucalyptus tree.
2. Cool the contents to room temperature.
3. Pour the cooled water and leaf mixture through a strainer to remove the leaves, and then discard the leaves.
4. Pour the remaining liquid into a spray bottle to use as needed.
Essential Oil Repellent
5. Fill a spray bottle with four ounces of distilled water.
6. Add ten drops of eucalyptus or lemon eucalyptus essential oil, and close the bottle. The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy recommends 10 to 15 drops of oil for insect repellent, but you may want to begin with fewer drops and increase it incrementally to suit your tolerance for the scent.
7. Shake the bottle to mix the contents, and use the repellent as needed.
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