Simple Little Moments

Where I live, ticks are out in full force. Many tick repellent sprays are toxic, and those that aren’t tend to be super expensive. I recently made a tick repellent spray that is quick & easy to make, all natural, and actually effective!

Jump to Recipe

It seems like as soon as spring starts, ticks are back out with a vengeance. I feel fortunate because the land we currently live on is surrounded by wooded areas on three sides and is very scenic and secluded. While it may be beautiful to see deer trotting along the property, unfortunately that usually means ticks aren’t far behind.

Since my toddler loves exploring outside for hours a day, and I’m playing catch up behind him, I knew I needed to come up with a tick repellent that actually worked.. otherwise I’d be anxiously thinking there were ticks on me all night while trying to fall asleep (the worst, haha!).

Why you’ll love this tick spray

• Super easy and quick
• Cheaper than many other tick repellents
• Smells great (to humans, anyway!)
• Natural/non-toxic
• Effective!

You may even have most or all of the ingredients on hand already, especially if you diffuse essential oils on a regular basis.

HOW TO MAKE A DIY TICK SPRAY

Ingredients

I used three different essential oils in my concoction and it works amazingly well. Like I mentioned, me and my toddler are outdoors for hours per day, traipsing in the long grass. I’ve sprayed our pants & boots everyday this week and we haven’t found any ticks! Not one. For this recipe you’ll need:

• Filtered or distilled water
• Lemongrass essential oil
• Eucalyptus essential oil
• Orange essential oil

Instructions

1. In a spray bottle, add approximately 2 cups of distilled or filtered water. Depending on the size of your spray bottle, add more or less water.
2. Add in 10 drops of each essential oil.
3. Twist on the top and shake to mix.
4. Spray on pants/legs/shoes or wherever you need to in order to keep the ticks away!

The essential oils used

Lemongrass: Lemongrass repels ticks because it contains citronella oil, which masks the scents ticks use to find hosts, essentially “blinding” them to potential hosts.

Eucalyptus: Can mask human odors, making it difficult for ticks and other insects to locate their targets.

Sweet Orange: Orange oil can be an effective natural tick repellent. Some studies have shown that orange oil, particularly turmeric oil, can reduce the number of ticks attaching to dogs/humans.

Are essential oils natural?

Yes! Essential oils are derived directly from plants and are not synthesized in a laboratory. 

The extraction process aims to preserve the natural compounds and scent of the plant, making them a concentrated source of natural fragrance.

How do essential oils keep ticks away?

According to Google, essential oils deter ticks through a combination of olfactory disinterest, chemical disruption, and physical barriers. Ticks rely on their sense of smell to find hosts, and strong, unfamiliar scents from essential oils can mislead them, causing them to avoid an area or object. 

Some essential oils contain compounds that disrupt tick behavior or create a physical barrier that ticks find unappealing to crawl across.