5 Common Plants That Help Repel Ticks

Now that the leaves and plants are budding out, ticks abound! This year, these nasty little parasites seem to be worse than ever. Add to the fact that Clay and I now live deep in the woods, ticks are a real problem. I’ve been researching plants that help repel ticks.

The main reason?

Just last week, I found 2 ticks on myself. One had bitten in and the other was crawling on my arm. I found one on our youngest daughters leg, one on our oldest daughter and Clay had one crawling on him. They are horrible right now!

I’m afraid we’re are going to HAVE to spray around our home, initially, to help repel them and I really don’t want to use a pesticide like that. I really don’t like using something that is harmful to nature, like a spray. I’d prefer natural organic tick control to rid the problem. These ticks are very bad this year and spread diseases like Lyme. I’ve been terrified that I may have gotten sick by the one that bit me and have been keeping a non-stop check for symptoms or rash. I’ve been praying hard!

We also have an infestation of yellow jackets and mosquitoes are horrible here in the summer, so a spray would help with that too. But I really just don’t want to use it if we don’t have to.

We’ve already treated the dogs and cats and wear mosquito spray ourselves when outdoors, but, we want to do something more natural to help repel them as well. That’s where plants come in. This week, we will be planting some plants that help repel ticks, fleas and mosquitoes, around our home and yard.

Ok, with all that said, there are several common plants that have been shown to repel ticks, fleas and mosquitoes and I’ll be planting 5 of those. The 5 I chose have multiple purposes and can be used, not only to repel, but also in my soapmaking and some in cooking!

5 common plants that help repel ticks:

1. Lavender
2. Marigold
3. Rosemary
4. Eucalyptus
5. Mint

Lavender: Ah, lavender. The smell is enticing. The oil is healing and amazing. It makes wonderful smelling soaps, lotions and creams. And, it repels ticks, fleas and mosquitoes!

Marigolds: My mama always had marigolds planted in her flower beds and all around her house. She just loved the look of them and so do I . I don’t think she actually knew that mosquitoes were repelled by Marigolds but, looking back, I don’t remember them being that bad at our house. And we lived in the country with a small stagnant pond nearby. So, I’m assuming the Marigold’s helped! Plus, they’re beautiful and add so much color and life to a garden.

Rosemary: Not only does Rosemary repel those aforementioned pets, but it’s fabulous on grilled or roasted chicken! So you have a plant here that repel ticks but is also an herb that can be used in cooking, salves when infused into olive oil and in soapmaking. Rosemary is very aromatic and adds a wonderful earthy smell in your garden.

Eucalyptus: Eucalyptus is one of those plants that just smells clean and refreshing. It has it’s own earthy smell with a vibrancy behind it.

Mint: Ok, that last on my list is mint. Mint is another plant that can be used in cooking and bath and body products. It is wonderful in a sugar scrub and cream for the feet to help cool and refresh in the evenings. It is amazing steeped in lemonade! The sour lemons mixed with the cooling effect of the mint makes the most refreshing summertime beverage.

All 5 of these plants that help repel ticks look beautiful planted around a home. I plan on putting some around the perimeter of our home as well as more along the edges of our outdoor entertaining area and fire pit. I’m hoping and praying that we will be able to enjoy outdoor parties and cookout this summer without the fear of being bitten by ticks or mosquitoes or the pets getting fleas.

Now, to just keep the deer and rabbits from eating them all!!!

What are some tried and true plants you’ve used in repelling ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, etc. . .

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