Effective Tick Repellents

Ticks are an outdoor pest that can pose a number of problems for humans and animals alike. While certain species of tick will not cause much damage, others, especially those that are very small, are carriers for Lyme Disease, a bacteria which can have debilitating health effects on humans and pets. Lyme Disease attacks the muscular system and can cause long term issues such as heart problems, arthritis and paralysis. It is important to prevent ticks from burrowing under the skin and passing along the diseases they carry. A good tick repellent is probably the best preventative measure that can be taken.

There are a number of tick repellent options such as commercially known sprays, lotions, wipes and creams like Off® and Cutter® brands that work using the powers of certain chemicals, such as DEET and Picaridin, however sometimes there can be side effect when using chemically-based products such as health issues. While DEET and DEET-based products are considered to be quite effective against almost every type of mosquito, it may not prevent every type of tick from biting. There are certain ticks that may be unaffected by any tick repellent and in that case, preventative measures are best. Some naturally-based methods are proving to be an effective barrier to ticks, however, it seems as though chemically-based preventative measures work the best.

Garlic is a natural tick repellent that is used in and around home gardens and commercial greeneries, such as golf courses because ticks cannot tolerate the strong odor of garlic. However, some people cannot tolerate it either, so it may not be the best option for some people as it must be sprayed in large quantities over sprawling areas and can create a very strong smell. Also, garlic-based tick repellents must be reapplied one a very regular basis, as much as once every three or four weeks. It may work best when combined with other tick repellent methods, such as using a light repellent spray.

Citronella may also temporarily prevent ticks from biting and burrowing into the skin of humans and animals, however it is not considered to be very effective and must be reapplied at least every 30 minutes.

Perhaps one of the best things you can do in order to get rid of bugs using different chemicals is to experiment with a variety of different methods. After all, different bugs grow up in different environments and may respond in different ways to you methods.