It's Tick Time!

Natural (and Toxic) Tick Repellents

Tick season is officially upon us here in New Hampshire.  Aside from planning to use food-grade diatomaceus earth (DE) on my lawn in the areas we tend to walk the most, I have an arsenal of tick repellents.  I specifically use three: 

1.  I use the most toxic, tick-killing spray I can find that contains permethrin to put on my shoes (especially white sneakers - they love white) and pants from the knees down.  Most experts who taut using natural products, admit that the toxic products we are exposed to can NEVER compare to having chronic Lyme Disease.  Those of us who have chronic Lyme Disease know we need to protect ourselves and our families at any cost from this debilitating, financially crippling disease. 

2.  As the weather warms and I switch from pants to shorts, I spray myself from the waist down with Buzz Away Extreme.   It's active ingredients are: castor oil, soybean oil, cedarwood oil, citronella oil, peppermint oil and lemongrass oil.  Inert ingredients are: purified water, coconut oil, glycerin, lecithin, sodium bicarbonate, citric acid, sodium benzoate, and wintergreen oil.  Although I don't know what sodium benzoate is, the remaining ingredients look like excellent, natural ingredients.  It is a little strong smelling, and since I'm sensitive in that department, I use another product from the waist up.                                  
                                                 (Affiliate Link):

3.  Since the smell of Ticks Away Natural Spray is a little milder than Buzz Away Extreme, I use this product from the waist up.  It is a New Hampshire product, sold by Cardigan Mountain Soap Works, and works well.  This company also has a "bugs away" soap that I use during tick season.  Ticks Away ingredients are: distilled water, pure essential oils, emulsifier, sorbitol. Looks like they use good, natural ingredients.

Aside from using sprays on our bodies and food-grade diatomaceous earth (DE) for the lawn, we've found another great tick-removing tool - CHICKENS!  We just picked up our babies last night.  They are 21 days old - born March 15, 2013- three Barred Rock, three Australorps, and three Barred Rock/Rhode Island Red cross.  The bad news is: they won't be big enough this year to eat the spring ticks.