They say that good things come in small packages. Unfortunately, terrible things can too, and ticks are one example. Tick-borne illnesses are on the rise across the globe, affecting both humans and animals with a range of problems. Some illnesses, like Lyme disease, are well known, with the CDC finding that as many a 476,000 people could be diagnosed every year in the United States. Other sicknesses are gaining attention, too, like alpha-gal syndrome, which causes severe allergies to red meat, among other foods. Nobody wants to return home from a leisurely stroll to find they’ve been bitten by a tick, but it can feel like a balance to find ways to repel ticks that are still safe for the environment, as well as kids and pets. Instead of opting for conventional tick spray or products with questionable chemicals, you may be able to use geranium oil to keep ticks away.
Before grabbing a vial of geranium essential oil, it’s important to understand what this oil is and how it might protect you and your home from ticks. Geranium essential oil comes from plants in the Pelargonium genus. Through a process of steam distillation, the fragrant plant compounds can be extracted and concentrated into those tiny brown bottles you’ve likely seen on store shelves. One study published in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry found a geranium oil sample repelled more than 90% of lone star tick nymphs. When studied more closely, one compound from that oil showed tick-repelling power similar to DEET – one of the most powerful current insect repellents. You’ll need to dilute geranium oil first with a carrier, though, before using it on skin or clothing.
