![What Home Remedy Kills Ticks](https://images.medicinenet.com/images/article/main_image/animals-ticks-bugs-insects-skin-disease.jpg?output-quality=75)
Ticks are irritating parasites that can plague both you and your pets, even transmitting dangerous diseases like Lyme disease or Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
While the best way to prevent tick-borne illnesses is to avoid ticks altogether or fumigate your house, here are a few natural and effective home remedies to kill ticks.
7 natural remedies to kill ticks
- Salt: Regular table salt can kill tick larvae and eggs, dehydrating them until they fall apart. You can kill ticks in your house by sprinkling salt over your floor and furniture, applying a layer at night and then vacuuming it in the morning. If you have carpeted floors, leave a thick layer of salt on it for at least a week before vacuuming.
- Boric acid (Borax): Boric acid is available in supermarkets as the main ingredient in some flea powder products. It can be sprinkled on your carpets. Boric acid alone can only kill larvae (living in carpets or rugs) that are actively feeding and not adult ticks because they only feed on blood.
- Detergent: You can kill ticks on your pet with any sort of dishwashing liquid. Apply a generous amount of soap on your pet (more than you would for a typical bath). Allow your pet to soak in the soap for 15-30 minutes. Rinse thoroughly and let your pet dry indoors. Keep in mind that this may irritate your pet’s skin and will not kill tick larvae or eggs.
- Eucalyptus oil: Eucalyptus oil acts as a tick killer as well as tick repellant. Spray a solution of 4 ounces of pure or distilled water with 20 drops of eucalyptus oil on yourself and your pet.
- Bleach: Bleach contains powerful chemicals that can instantly kill ticks. Place the tick in a small container that contains bleach.
- Rubbing alcohol: Rubbing alcohol can kill ticks for good. Once you remove the tick, put it in a cup of alcohol and cover it up with a lid to prevent the tick from escaping.
- Water and mow your lawn: Ticks flourish in warm, dry environments, which is why they can be found in thick grasses and wooded regions. Mow the grass outside your house to reduce the number of ticks in your yard that can potentially find a host in you or your pets. Keep your lawn trimmed short and properly hydrated.
What are natural tick repellants?
- Essential oils: Essential oils not only smell great but are also natural tick repellents. Ticks despise the odor of lemon, orange, cedar, cinnamon, lavender, peppermint, and rose geranium and will avoid clinging to anything that smells like them. You can make a spray using any combination of these oils.
- Neem oil: Neem oil is used as a natural tick repellent and removal agent. Place a few drops in the palm of your hand and massage on any exposed skin. It can be diluted and combined with almond oil or any mild carrier oil. Applying a drop or two of neem oil straight to the tick will cause it to detach itself fast from the skin.
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Medically Reviewed on 12/13/2021
References
Image Source: iStock Images
https://www.petmd.com/dog/parasites/5-flea-and-tick-treatments-dont-work
Home Remedies For Ticks: https://www.terminix.com/blog/diy/home-remedies-for-ticks/
Home Remedies for Ticks: What Works and What to Avoid Like the Plague: https://pesthacks.com/home-remedies-for-ticks/
https://www.petmd.com/dog/parasites/5-flea-and-tick-treatments-dont-work
Home Remedies For Ticks: https://www.terminix.com/blog/diy/home-remedies-for-ticks/
Home Remedies for Ticks: What Works and What to Avoid Like the Plague: https://pesthacks.com/home-remedies-for-ticks/
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