Wednesday, May 19, 2010 at 2:52pm

Below is a recipe I found on-line for an all natural tick repellant.  I knew it was going to be a bad year for it and I really dislike the side-effects and costs of Frontline and Advantix on my dog’s physical and mental health.  I  could not find Rose Geranium in any of the health food stores in my area and I didn’t want to order it on the internet.  Instead, purchased the essential oil of Pennyroyal which describes itself as a topical treatment for animals to repel ticks, on the label.  It is a member of the Mint Family.  I simply my dog’s cloth collar, take the Pennyroyal bottle and coat the inside of his collar where it will be touching his neck.  I put his collar back on him, he’s now protected for a week to a week and a half against ticks AND he smells nice and minty! ~Nichole Hastings

Tick Repellent Recipe

I dug deep in my herbal formula books for this recipe out of desperation, given that I live in the epicenter of the tick-generated Lyme disease epidemic. I tested the essential oil that is recommended for ticks, Rose Geranium, by putting a few drops—no more!— on our dogs’ collars, to see if it would repel ticks. Lo and behold, we went from 20 ticks a day on each dog, to none. The second best essential oil for repelling ticks is American Pennyroyal (also called tickweed).

* 2 tablespoons vegetable or nut oil (almond oil contains sulfur, a repellent in its own right)
* 10 to 25 drops Rose Geranium essential oil

Combine the ingredients in a glass jar; shake to blend.

Makes: 2 tablespoons
Shelf Life: 6 months