Natural Outdoor Flea & Tick Repellent

Nothing ruins a trip through the great outdoors faster than discovering ticks or fleas crawling on you. You can make your own natural repellent to protect your household from these pests.

Pets

You can create natural flea and tick repellent collars for you pets by purchasing fabric collars. For dogs, place a few drops of pennyroyal, lemon and palmarosa essential oil onto the collar. For a cat, use pennyroyal, palmarosa and eucalyptus oils on the collar.

Humans

For your family, you can create a flea and tick repellent to protect you while you are outdoors. Add a few drops of lemon, eucalyptus and pennyroyal essential oils to a spray bottle full of water. Spritz the clothes you are going to wear outside with the mixture, particularly around the bottom of your pant legs and the sleeves of your shirt. You can spray this mixture on your exposed skin, too, according to "Tiny Game Hunting," a guide to insects.

Considerations

Cats are sensitive to citrus oils and can become ill if exposed to them, so avoid using lemon oil around them. If any member of your family or any of your pets are pregnant, do not use pennyroyal oil around them. If ingested, it can induce a miscarriage. Instead, try lavender oil, suggests "The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care."

References

• "Tiny Game Hunting"; Hilary Dole Klein, Adrian M. Wenner; 2001
• "The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care"; C. J. Puotinen; 2000