Effective Tick Repellent Products
As the warm weather starts up, it’s the perfect time to go on hikes, walks, and mountain trails. However, the warm weather also brings out ticks, and it brings them out especially in the areas that most of us like to hike through. Luckily, there are some great products on the market that can keep you from being bitten. Here are some of the ones that we would recommend:
Pesticide treated clothing
There are a number of clothing products on the market that are treated with tick repellents. One of these repellents is permethrin, which is the same active ingredient used in delousing shampoos. Some of these clothes also have a repellent effect due to the way that the fabric has been weaved, making it harder for a tick to reach the skin. The clothes will also remain effective after being washed for about 60-70 times. You can also find permethrin spray bottles which have been designed specifically for application on clothes. However, clothes treated with these sprays will no longer be effective repellents after a few washes.
Insect repellent wipes and sprays
Insect repellent wipes are effective against both mosquitoes and ticks, and their active ingredients such as DEET are recommended by the CDC. Wipes may be more comfortable to use for some people, and they have a period of 12 hours of effectiveness against mosquitoes, and 8 hours against ticks. Sprays may also contain different chemicals such as picaridin, which is a human-safe insect repellent that wards off ticks. The picaridin has the added benefit of being a less oily and less toxic chemical than DEET.
Natural tick repellent products
If you are not completely comfortable with using products that contain chemical repellents, you do have the option of using natural solutions. The EPA and CDC have stated that essential oils such as lemon-eucalyptus and garlic oil can be somewhat effective at repelling ticks. However, other experts recommend using essential oils in combination with other repellents, since they are not strong enough to fully protect you from ticks. If you are worried about applying too much synthetic tick repellent directly on your skin, you can use a combination of essential oils and synthetic products.
Using tick repellent products is a great way to protect yourself when you’re going hiking or camping, but they cannot be a permanent solution. If the tick infestation is on your property, the best course of action is to hire a pest control specialist who can remove the infestation. Contact us today if you are having tick problems.
