Arts &Crafts, How-To's, Upcycling & Repurposing

When it gets nice out and we decide to go outside and maybe work in the garden, pull weeds or sit and listen to nature or maybe even read a book. There’s various bugs and creatures in nature most of which we often don’t worry about or in some areas even have to worry about.

Ticks. They lurk in trees, shrubs and tall grassy areas. They attach themselves to humans and animals then feed on the blood for survival and reproduction. Some Ticks can carry Lyme disease amongst other diseases.

There are 899 species of ticks, 90 species live in the U.S. I honestly did not know there was that many species.

Keeping our yards maintained is a good defense against ticks and other bugs. Some of us may not like to use chemical sprays or maybe some people do not have the funds to purchase something to spray for the ticks and other bugs. Today, I’m going to share with you a couple ways to help prevent you against ticks.

Idea # 1-

The pungent aroma of Cedar oil repels ticks and other bugs such as

• Mosquitoes
• Ants
• Roaches
• Flies
• Fleas 
• Lice
• Bed Bugs

Supplies needed:

Spray bottle

1 cup of water

1-2 drops of liquid dish soap (I use Dawn)

Approx 8 drops of cedar essential oil (I use Cedarwood).

***. If you do not have cedar oil, here are some alternative oils you can use in place of cedar-

• Jasmine
• Amyris
• Sandalwood
• Cedarwood
• Myrrh
• Vetiver
• Galbanum
• Labdanum
• Patchouli

** I have heard Lavender, Lemongrass and Eucalyptus work also but I have not tried them for this spray yet.

Personally I am not a fan of buying things if I do not have to, especially if I do not have the funds at the time. With that being said, there are other options- you can borrow the essential oil you need, Dollar Tree now has some essential oils, Walmart has some as well.

Step 1:

Put all of the above ingredients into the spray bottle. Replace the lid and shake well.

If you’d like to make a larger batch then you can double the ingredients.

Step 2:

Go outside to the areas you want to treat and spray away!

Idea # 2-

Baking soda repels ticks

Using baking soda to repel ticks is one of the best ways in natural pest control. Baking Soda helps dehydrate ticks, keeping them away. You can either put it in a flour sifter and sprinkle it on areas where ticks are common, like pet bedding and carpets, dirt, in doorways, you get the picture. If you do not have a flour sifter you can use a spoon or your hands and sprinkle it.

Baking soda is also effective against silverfish, slugs and snails. When bugs digest baking soda, it dehydrates them and can lead to organ failure ultimately killing them.

Salt will also dehydrate ticks & other bugs.

• Mix the baking soda in a container with salt.
• Sprinkle in the areas needed.

I hope either one of these ideas helps you.