I wanted to share the recipe for our “Don’t TICK me OFF SPRAY!” that we sell over in our Etsy Shop. Our family has been very lucky to live in an area where ticks are not a huge problem. Sure, we have our share of gnats, but ticks are not really an issue. On the other hand, just about everyone else in my family has been affected by Lyme, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, or another tick-related illness, some of which have been quite worrisome. That is what led me to start making Tick Spray.
When I started to learn about essential oils and had good luck with many of them, I tried to find a combination of oils that would deter the ticks. There are quite a few different options out there and I settled on a mixture of geranium and cedar oils. So far, the combination has worked well and this tick spray smells really good too. It’s super easy to mix up a bottle of this spray.
Ingredients and Materials needed:
- 2 oz. Spray bottle – Dark colored glass is your best option for keeping the essential oils from losing their effectiveness. Plastic will work too – try to find something that isn’t clear to protect the oils from light. Specialty bottle has some really cute glass bottles and they are of high quality. You can also find cute bottles on amazon, just check the reviews first. I’ve had mixed luck, so am not comfortable recommending.
- Cheap Vodka – I like to use vodka for the alcohol portion (get the cheap stuff). Rubbing alcohol or witch hazel would probably work too. I’m paranoid of these though because they are clear and look like water. I’d hate for anyone to accidentally try to drink either of them so don’t like to keep them in my home.
- Dr. Bronner’s Fair Trade & Organic Castile Liquid Soap – (Unscented, 16 oz) – Dr. Bronner’s is the most widely known brand of liquid castile soap although I’ve seen store brands popping up too, which makes it a little more affordable. You only need a small amount of this.
- Cedar and Geranium Essential Oils – When selecting essential oils, look for a trusted, pure brand. Young Living and Doterra are very popular and highly regarded. They are also quite expensive, although they are usually sold by independent direct sellers, which I like to support. I’ve also had good luck with Eden’s Garden brand. Beware of synthetic oils – you want something pure and natural. Below are links to the oils that I use.
- Small funnel (helpful, but not required) or measuring cup with a pour spout.
- Water
Making the Tick Spray:
Fill the spray bottle half full with vodka.
Add 1/4 tsp. of castille soap.
Next, add 5 drops each of cedar essential oil and geranium essential oil. You can add more essential oil if you want it extra strong, but 5 drops of each will do the trick.
Fill the bottle with water. Cap it tightly and shake. You can easily double this recipe to make in a larger bottle. I wouldn’t make a large batch and pour it into smaller bottles because the amount of essential oils might not spread evenly.
Shake well before using. I like to spray it on clothing and exposed areas – take extra care to make sure the bottom of your pant legs are sprayed and shoes too so the ticks can’t crawl on you from the ground. This spray smells great. The geranium oil has a bit of a rose scent to it, but not overpowering, which I think is really nice. You certainly won’t smell like you are dowsed in bug spray when wearing this.
Hope this gives you another option to keep the Ticks away! If you’d rather buy the Tick Spray, ready-made, hop on over to our Etsy Shop.
When I told my family that I was posting the tick spray recipe this week, I got questions like, “Why are you giving away a recipe on a product that you sell?” Well, some people like to make things (like me), and some people like to buy things, ready-made. Ticks are such a huge health concern that I think it’s important that as much information be available as possible. Sure, it’s great to make a few dollars when I sell the tick spray or someone purchases ingredients from my links. This helps to cover my costs of running the blog so that I can keep doing what I love – learning and sharing great information. If this information helps keep someone from having to deal with a Tick related illness, that’s worth more to me than any material thing on earth.