Warm Weather is Here! How Do You Protect Your Pups from the Ticks?
The weather in the northeast is finally starting to warm up! That also means more outing for my pups, longer walks, more running around and exploring in the yard. In a perfect world, it should be about having fun in the sun. Unfortunately, warm weather also means battling these nasty bugs called ticks. Our battle is to figure out a way to protect the pups from ticks and from bringing them into the house.
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My Solutions in the Past
I used to use the sticky lint roller to make sure the ticks are not on the couch, the bed, anywhere the dogs hang out. I could have bought a stock in the company that sells these products and made money.
Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases can cause serious harms to dogs and humans.
My pups are both on Nexgard which protects them from fleas and ticks. But I want to protect them even more.
I’ve looked at flea/tick collars but that seemed to have more chemicals my dogs have to come in contact on their body. And there are more natural and holistic way. So I started researching online. I came across some that looked promising but one site struck a chord with me.
Organic Solution to the Rescue
It was using an essential oil to repel ticks to land on dogs. ticks hate the smell of an essential oil called Rose Geranium. Ticks sit on tall grasses and low branches looking for the next victim. But when they smell Rose Geranium, they think twice because they hate the smell. I was hesitant at first but I figured what do I have to lose? So I made my first batch of the tick repellent spray. I have to say I will never regret making that decision.
I spray in 2 places, between their shoulder blades and at the base of their tail before we head out. Voila… no ticks. During the 3 year period we have been using the repellent spray, we found 2 ticks on our dog. But we were in deep woods and was out for a long walk. In hindsight, we should’ve brought the spray and re-applied, we learned after that day.
I also use the same repellent spray on myself. I spray my sneakers, legs and bottom of pants to avoid ticks from jumping on me. You can say that we are a family of firm believer of the spray!
It’s super easy to make too. All you need is some distilled water, rose geranium essential oil and witch hazel. You also need a dark-colored glass spray bottle.
Recipes for No Tick Spray for Dogs
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Witch Hazel
- 40 drops Rose Geranium Essential Oil
- 1/3 cup Distilled Water
Instructions
- Mix the witch hazel with the essential oil in a spray bottle.
- Pour in your distilled water and shake!
To use
- Shake well before each use. Spray between dog’s shoulder blades and at the base of their tail. Spray again when the smell starts to dissipate.
- Spray on your clothes to keep you tick free too!
- Store out of sunlight. Keeps for 6 months.
I still check for ticks on my dogs and myself, because you never know. I hope you find it helpful too.
Tick Spray Recipe Credit: Primally Inspired
