Plants That Repel Ticks & Fleas
Fleas and ticks are more than mere bloodsuckers; they can also cause itchy rashes and spread diseases. Protect your home and your family by using plants that naturally repel them.
Indoors
You can protect areas of your home from ticks and fleas by using dried springs of lavender, peppermint or rose geranium. Tuck them inside pet bedding, hang them in windows or add them to bowls of potpourri. Chop up rose geranium leaves, pour a cup of very hot water over them and let them sit for several hours. After the water has cooled, pour it into a spray bottle and use in the doorways of your home to repel fleas and ticks.
Outdoors
Choose plants for your yard that repel ticks and fleas. Pennyroyal is a member of the mint family and repels fleas. Rose geranium plants will deter ticks from entering your yard. Mint plants placed in your garden and around favorite areas for children and pets to play will help keep ticks and fleas away.
- Fleas and ticks are more than mere bloodsuckers; they can also cause itchy rashes and spread diseases.
- After the water has cooled, pour it into a spray bottle and use in the doorways of your home to repel fleas and ticks.
Considerations
While pennyroyal is an effective insect repellent, it can cause miscarriages in humans and pets if ingested. Do not use it in your yard if a member of your household is pregnant. When you are outdoors, you can crush the leaves of rose geraniums and mint plants and rub them on your skin to make an all-natural flea and tick repellent.
Plants That Keep Ticks Away
Ticks are dangerous garden pests that cause Lyme disease and other problems. Ticks are problematic because they are attracted to both humans and animals, and may infest your household pets. Many fragrant herbs are repellent to ticks. Lavender, Lavandula, emits an aroma that many humans enjoy, but ticks will avoid the flowery scent. Rosemary also repels aphids, mites and flies. Mexican marigolds, Tagetes erecta, are one of many tick-repellent flowers. The strong odor emitted by Mexican marigolds keeps the insects away. Marigolds, Calendula, repel beetles, tomato worms and ticks. When such abrasions occur, the plant releases a strong-scented oil that keep ticks, mosquitoes and fleas away.
- While pennyroyal is an effective insect repellent, it can cause miscarriages in humans and pets if ingested.
- Lavender, Lavandula, emits an aroma that many humans enjoy, but ticks will avoid the flowery scent.
References
- "The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care"; C. J. Puotinen; 2000
- "What Can I Do with My Herbs?"; Judy Barrett; 2009
- "The Daily Puppy"; Tick Repelling Plants; Tom Don
- "The Daily Puppy"; Flowering Plants That Repel Insects; Darcy Logan
- "The Daily Puppy"; A Rose Geranium Tick Repellent; Kay Wagers