Botanical Tick Repellent

Ticks are more than just creepy little bloodsuckers; they can also carry disease. You can create botanical tick repellents in your home that will protect your house, family and pets.

In House

• To repel ticks from your home, you can use a citrus oil mix that you can spray around your house to keep them away. Chop several orange or lemon peels into small pieces, place them in a pan of water and simmer it on the stove for 15 minutes. Allow the solution to cool, then place it in a spray bottle, according to "Texas Bug Book."

Outside

• Outside, you can create a tick repellent for pets and for people by placing several drops of essential oils on a pet's collar or on a cloth a person carries. Essential oils like rose geranium, palmarosa and opopanax will repel ticks, according to "The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care."

Considerations

• If you have cats, do not use the citrus oil spray in any part of the house they could have access to. Cats can become ill by exposure to citrus oil. Use caution when first exposing a pet or person to essential oils because they can cause skin irritation. Applying the oil to cloth rather than directly to skin reduces the risk of irritation.