What do ticks hate most?

Ticks hate permethrin. Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing and camping gear and remain protective through several washings. Alternatively, you can buy permethrin-treated clothing and gear. Permethrin can be used to treat boots, clothing, and gear and remains protective through several washings. Ticks may be carried into the house on clothing. Cold and medium temperature water will not kill ticks. Tumble dry clothes in a dryer on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing after you come indoors. If the clothes are damp, additional time may be needed. Ticks can ride into the home on clothing and pets, then attach to a person later, so carefully examine pets, coats, and daypacks. Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone.

Ticks find many scents unpleasant, and a few drops of citrus, spice, or herbal essential oil can help repel ticks. Some scents that may deter ticks include – lemon, orange, cinnamon, lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, rose geranium, sage, oregano, thyme, citronella, and clove bud. Because they aren’t 100 percent effective, these scents are best used in conjunction with other tick prevention measures. Ticks are primarily attracted to the smell of your body and breath. The stronger your scent, the easier it is for them to find you. Unlike many other bugs, ticks aren’t generally attracted to synthetic scents in perfumes, colognes, laundry products, and deodorants.

Some plants that repel ticks and the animals that carry them include rosemary, chrysanthemum, mint, lemongrass, sage, lavender, garlic, onions, marigold, petunias, brown-eyed susan and juniper. By using them strategically, it helps to create a soft barrier, or at least a deterrent, to them coming into our yard. The goal is ward off host animals, such as deer, mice and raccoons, which carry the ticks into areas where humans might come into contact with them. The goal is to limit moist, dark environments that attract ticks and their animal hosts. Another tactic Baltzer recommends is getting rid of bird feeders or moving them to the edges of your property, since dropped bird seed attracts rodents and other tick-carrying animals. Tick-repelling landscaping solutions include stone or bark mulching, fencing, raised planters and stone paths. There's no one thing that provides a silver bullet solution.

Permethrin is an EPA-approved insecticide that is toxic to a variety of ticks. Wearing permethrin-treating clothing will help repel ticks. Research conducted by University of Rhode Island (URI) and CDC shows clothing treated with permethrin had strong toxic effects on ticks. People wearing permethrin-treated sneakers and socks were 73.6 times less likely to be bitten by a tick than those wearing untreated footwear. For most effective tick bite prevention, products with the active ingredients DEET, Picaridin, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE)*, or Permethrin are most effective. The Center for Disease (CDC) recommends using products containing these active ingredients, that are registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Using the right tick repellent correctly is an important first step to prevent tick bites and tick-borne illness, like Lyme disease. There are a variety of tick repellents on the market today. Camping: Permethrin-treated gear and clothing plus repellent Hiking: Permethrin-treated clothing plus repellent Casual walks: Repellent Gardening: Permethrin-treated clothing plus repellent

Ticks are more than just annoying, biting insects. Using Plants That Repel Ticks Different landscaping plants have tick-repellent properties, with fragrances, textures and oils that these bugs cannot tolerate. Garlic, sage, mint, lavender, beautyberry, rosemary and marigolds are some of the most familiar and effective tick-repelling plants, and they are great to use in landscaping borders around decks, walkways, pet runs, patios and other areas to keep ticks away. Using cedar chips for mulch can also discourage ticks because the oils in cedar are naturally tick-repellent. Natural essential oils from rosemary, cedar, lemongrass, peppermint, citronella and geranium are believed to be particularly noxious to ticks, and homemade repellent recipes frequently incorporate these oils into lotions or sprays to repel ticks. A diet high in garlic, onions and sources of vitamin B1 (thiamin), such as tuna, tomatoes, sunflower seeds, asparagus and leafy greens, for example, can alter your body chemistry in a way that ticks don't appreciate, so they aren't as likely to bite.