Table of ContentsView AllTable of Contents4 Natural RepellentsHow They Are MadeRecommended RepellentsFor Home and Garden
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
4 Natural Repellents
How They Are Made
Recommended Repellents
For Home and Garden
Though there are natural tick repellents, experts say they are not always the best option.Some do have benefits, however.When choosing among the options, it’s important to understand which natural tick repellents work.
When a tick bites you, it inserts a feeding tube into your skin to withdraw blood. If the tick is infected with a disease-causing organism from another animal it has bitten, it can transmit the germs to you as it feeds. Some tick-borne illnesses can be serious.
Jaromir / Getty Images
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes thattick-borne diseaseshave beenincreasingsince 2004. Climate change and the warmer, wetter weather it brings are contributing factors, allowing ticks to proliferate in new areas or for longer periods of time.
That raises the risk of atick biteand the diseases they can carry. The CDC says that natural tick repellents for the skin, which may work but only for a short time, are not as effective as chemically based repellents.However, you can takeother stepsto avoid tick bites naturally.
1. Clothing and Other Barriers
What you wear can reduce the chance of a tick being able to bite you. Appropriate clothing includes:
If you have tall grasses, brush, or wooded areas on your property, keep recreational areas like picnic tables or swing sets away from them. You also can make 3-foot wide barriers of gravel, brick, or other materials like cinder block that make it difficult for ticks to cross. Keep the yard free of debris that can harbor ticks.
2. Essential Oils
According to a 2024 review inEmerging Infectious Diseases, it is challenging to assess how reliable essential oils are as tick repellents.They may vary in potency, be more effective against certain tick species than others, or work at one point in a tick’s lifecycle but not others. The research may also be insufficient to determine how effective they actually are.
The review of 49 studies determined the following regarding the length of time certain essential oils will repel ticks from the skin:
Some natural repellents made from essential oils do show promise, however. One commercial product tested containing geraniol oil, rosemary, cinnamon, and lemongrass was shown to be as effective as the chemically based repellentpermethrinfor two days against black-legged and lone star ticks. However, it was only studied on textiles, not skin.
Another experimental formula with geraniol oil was applied to socks and found to be as effective as the chemically based repellent DEET against black-legged ticks, lone star ticks, American dog ticks, and brown dog ticks.However, the study did not examine how it worked when applied to human skin.
Some products with essential oils may be more effective against ticks in the soil or on plants than on human skin. These include garlic oil, cedarwood, geraniol, rosemary, and peppermint oil.
More research and standardized manufacturing methods are needed to confirm how well essential oils work as tick repellents, especially on the skin.
3. Nootkatone
Nootkatone is a substance found in certain plants including grapefruit and cedar trees. It can repel and kill ticks, and is also used to scent products like shampoos and perfumes, and added to foods for flavor. When nootkatone is applied as a tick repellent on fabrics and the skin, it can work for several hours.
Initially, nootkatone was difficult to produce at a reasonable cost, but new manufacturing methods have made it viable. It is now available as an active ingredient in tick-repellent products and is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
4. Metarhizium brunneum (formerly Metarhizium anisopliae) Fungus
Metarhizium brunneum, a fungus initially classified asMatarhizium anisopliae, is found in the soil of forests of the Eastern United States. It can kill ticks, and one strain, called Met52, has been developed for commercial use in lawn soil and other residential areas. It is nontoxic to humans and was found to be as effective as chemical pesticides in managing tick populations.
How Are Natural Tick Repellents Made?
The EPA has found some commercially made natural anti-tick products have little to no known risk to humans or the environment, even if their effectiveness is unclear.
They may contain oils such as cinnamon, cedarwood, geraniol, citronella, cloves, garlic, peppermint, rosemary, sesame, spearmint, or thyme, and mild compounds like citric acid, potassium sorbate, or sodium chloride (salt).
CDC-Recommended Tick Repellents
The CDC recommends using EPA-registered insect repellents that work for ticks.Registration means they have been evaluated for safety and effectiveness. The active ingredients in the repellents can include both synthetic chemicals and ingredients derived from natural sources. Check the label to ensure you understand what is in a tick repellent.
Recommended synthetic or chemical compounds are:
Recommended products derived from natural materials include:
Do not use PMD or OLE on children under 3 years of age.
Finding the Right Tick RepellentYou can use the EPA’sFind the Repellent That Is Right for Yousearch tool to select products that contain different repellents.
Finding the Right Tick Repellent
You can use the EPA’sFind the Repellent That Is Right for Yousearch tool to select products that contain different repellents.
Natural Tick Repellents for the Home and Garden
Summary
There are natural tick repellent options available, but they may not be as effective or long-lasting as chemically based repellents. Some may work in the soil or on fabrics to repel or kill ticks, but research has not determined if they are safe or effective on the skin.
When choosing a tick-repellent, you can check through the EPA or CDC to see if a product or ingredient has been evaluated for safety and effectiveness.
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About vector-borne diseases.
Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station.Managing ticks on your property.
Eisen L.Efficacy of unregulated minimum risk products to kill and repel ticks.Emerging Infectious Diseases.2024;30(1):1-7. doi:10.3201/eid3001.230813. (doi link doesn’t work)
Selles SMA, Kouidri M, González MG, et al.Acaricidal and repellent effects of essential oils against ticks: a review.Pathogens. 2021;10(11):1379. doi:10.3390/pathogens10111379
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Nootkatone.
Fischhoff IR, Keesing F, Ostfeld RS.The tick biocontrol agent Metarhizium brunneum (= M. anisopliae) (Strain f52) does not reduce non-target arthropods.PLoS One.2017;12(11):e0187675. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0187675
Tisserand Institute.Tick repellent formulation key.
Environmental Protection Agency.Skin-applied repellent ingredients.
Wanzala W.Potential of traditional knowledge of plants in the management of arthropods in livestock industry with focus on (Acari) ticks.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2017;2017:8647919. doi:10.1155/2017/8647919
Gareh A, Hassan D, Essa A, et al.Acaricidal properties of four neem seed extracts (Azadirachta indica) on the camel tickHyalomma dromedarii(Acari: Ixodidae).Front Vet Sci. 2022;9:946702. doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.946702
Bharadwaj A, Hayes LE, Stafford KC 3rd.Effectiveness of garlic for the control of Ixodes scapularis (Acari: Ixodidae) on residential properties in Western Connecticut.J Med Entomol. 2015;52(4):722-5. doi:10.1093/jme/tjv044
CBC News.How to repel ticks with plants and landscaping.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
