‘Tis the season over in the Northern Hemisphere.
Hope this scratches that itch!
Be aware though that many of the oils you list are highly toxic to cats and dogs, namely: All citrus oils, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Peppermint, Tea tree
I once rubbed a dog with coconut oil because I read that ticks hate it. In the end, the dog looked greasier than a back-alley stray, smelled like a tropical dumpster fire, and the ticks were probably laughing their little blood-sucking heads off.
Also a great time to remind everyone that permethrin, an absolutely wonderful repellent for treating your clothing and gear, is deadly to cats when wet. If you treat your clothing with permethrin (and you should!) be sure to let it dry thoroughly before a cat can get anywhere near it.**
My husband got tea tree oil and diluted it in a spray bottle, which we sprayed around the exterior of our house, along window sills and doorways, to ward off pests. Also, gardeners often recommend growing certain plants around the perimeter of your home to ward off pests.
Meanwhile in Australia https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixodes_holocyclus
When we lived in Queensland one of these suckers (pun intended) killed our goat in one day.
Another reason against ever going to Australia.
Australia is a wonderful place. If you want to avoid places where ticks can give you serious diseases, then a major part of the world is off-limits. I lived in Australia for several years. Did tons of hiking. Never got a single tick (always tucked my pants into my socks). Went to South-Africa for few weeks on holiday. Did the same, but somehow a tick ended up in my hair, even though I wore a cap. A few days later I had a severe case of African tick fever…
Yep, Africa is off the list, too.
Beware on making your own repellent.. some oils are toxic and some don’t do anything especially if you live in an area ( New England USA) where the tick and flea population are fierce.
I’ve been using seresto collars only bought from my vet for 15 years! Never a tick or fle and never a problem.
Well, then there’s not much travel you can do. There isn’t a single country on this planet that is entirely free of ticks! Would be a pity to limit yourself in that way
I treat ALL of my clothes, including pajamas, with permethrin before I travel, and then use picardin spray on exposed areas. So far so good for me. I have several friends who’ve ended up hospitalized and with years-long illnesses due to tick bites.
For those on the forum from outside of the United States, it is worth learning about Alpha-gal syndrome. Two of my friends are no longer able to eat mammalian protein thanks to tick bites, which in my opinion is a pretty high price to pay.
Yes, my friend who got Alpha-gal syndrome had been making his own homemade repellent. He deeply regrets it now and wishes he’d used the stronger stuff.
No worries, I travel quite a bit.
About ticks spreading in the U.S. and into Canada:
“As winters get warmer, ticks of several kinds are flourishing. Deer ticks, known for transmitting Lyme disease, are moving farther north. The longhorned tick, which came from overseas, has gained a foothold on the East Coast and begun moving west. Gulf Coast ticks have made it to states like Connecticut and Indiana. The lone star tick, which can make people allergic to red meat, is fanning outfrom the South and has been found as far as Canada.”
A cautionary tale.
Just back from an enjoyable sit. I spent an extra night after owners returned.
Through the night I discovered a tick on my lower back. I had to wait till the woman was up to ask her to remove it for me, which she did. A few hours later, when I was home alone in my flat, I discovered another one. I asked a neighbour to remove it for me, she was afraid to in case she didn’t do it right. (understandable, I know how important it is to remove whole tick before it burrows it’s head in).
So my GP surgery is just around the corner, I headed there, sorry no nurses on duty this afternoon. You will need to go to hospital to the Minor Injuries Clinic.
I popped over to chemist to see if they would help. Nope, they just tried to sell me a tick remover set, I already have those, it was the position on my lower back which prevented me from removing it myself. so a trip to the MI Clinic it was, and a 2 hour wait but now, he is gone. PLEASE = Be careful out there.
Oh no @RedLassie that is so horrible. I had 3 tick bites this year, and actually woke up my husband to remove the one tick, as I couldn’t stand the thought of having it burrowed in my flesh any longer than 5 minutes, so I can just imagine how you must have felt…
I am sure most of us have a favorite method for removing ticks, we use a tool that resembles a tiny crow bar or nail puller. Easy pressure and off they pop, then into soapy water to drown. Prevention is preferable but having the hardware available is cheap and tiny to pack. God I hate ticks.
We have mostly dog ticks here. I read that pouring rubbing alcohol on the tick and area before pulling the tick out can kill the poison before it spreads. I don’t know if it really works or how well or for which ticks, but I have done it the few times I’ve been bitten. I figure anything that has a chance of helping is worth the effort!