http://www.care2.com/greenliving/green-girl-ticks-off-ticks.html
Green Girl Ticks Off Ticks
Not going to lie, we’ve been getting some pretty freaky storms up here in the northeast. Major thunder. Lots of hail. Intense lightning. Well, the other day one of these storms hit at about 10:30 a.m. I, of course, was still asleep, and mother was away, much to my dogs’ chagrin. I woke with a start as I heard a combination of booming thunder, pelting rain, and my bedroom door cracking as my dogs catapulted themselves at it, trying to get my attention.
They don’t like thunder storms. Though I would have preferred to sleep a tad longer, I grudgingly got up and went downstairs, where I sat in one of our tall white chairs (like bar stools, only comfy, white, and with backs). Clayo, a sprightly dog of 9, pranced around nervously and whimpered. Sammy, meanwhile, who is nearing 12 and is not the most active dog you will ever meet, expended literally more energy than I have seen him use over the past couple of years in his amazingly successful attempt to leap up onto my lap. Clayo, clearly jealous, then tried to leap up on top of me as well. Oh, goodness. It was quite chaotic. And there were many sharp dog nails.
Point being, though my first thought should have been to the intensity of a storm that could possibly provoke such behavior from my dogs, it was instead, TICKS. First of all, it should be known that my mother and I are no stranger to tick-born illnesses. We have each had Lyme Disease at least 5 times and other tick borne diseases Ehrlichiosis, Rickettsia, and Babesiosis numerous times. Which, though shocking, isn’t that surprising–we live in the middle of the woods in upstate New York, and we have two dogs that love to roam.
Luckily, when it became clear that ticks were, indeed, a problem, mother researched tick repellants like it was nobody’s business. Her findings? Nothing keeps the ticks away like a little rose geranium. If you have pets, just dab a tiny bit of rose geranium essential oil on their collars. (But not too much or it will drive them insane!) It’s amazingly effective. And if you work outside, or spend much time rolling around in the grass, then buy a rose geranium tick repellant, like Quantum Herbal Products’ 100% Natural Herbal Tick Spray. I wear it everyday at the garden, and I have yet to find a tick on me (which is amazing, since ticks seem to have a special affinity for me. Even in the winter.). So, while my first thought, as my dogs leapt onto me, was to the unfortunate possibility of Lyme Disease, my second thought was one of relief as I realized that, most likely, my dogs did not have ticks on them.
Note to self: Much love to rose geranium.
Lily Berthold-Bond grew up in a chemical-free zone and has struggled her whole life to understand and accept this non-commercial lifestyle. Now a sophomore at Tufts University, she has embraced her green life and hopes to share its possibilities with the rest of her generation.
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add your comment »Well, Lyme can go into remission for periods of time. It is possible that your supposed "combating" the 1st infection simply nuked it into remission and then it e-emerged later on repeatedly. I had that happen to me, I nuked it enough that it went away for a year and then re-emerged, but more severely.
Treatment usually must be constant and for years+ to make sure you actually beat out the critters completely. It is not that part of the organism always stays in you that makes you more succeptible to re-infection.. it is that the organism can go dormant for however long so you feel you "beat" it only to have it re-emerge down the road.
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HI Julie,
I am sorry you are so sick; I was also that sick for about 18 months (with babesia and other tick-borne diseases also), and thought if I was put on one more drug I'd die, literally. What I am about to tell you is not medical advice, but will explain where Lily is coming from (and may give you some ideas for other methods that might help you). Having nothing left to loose and feeling hopeless, I went to a woman who had a machine that is similar to a biomeridian (biomeridian.com). I started working at my desk the next day after my first treatment. Since then we've managed our tick-borne cases with an eclectic blend of the biomeridian, the QXCI, and consider antibiotics for fresh bites. Again, this is not medical advice at all, but defense of why we have been able to fold Lyme's into our lives as part of our lives yet not be so frightened, even when it is systemic.
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As someone who is on Disability from Lyme Disease, Erlichia, and Babesia, it is quite upsetting to hear you discussing these diseases so flippantly. Since there is no test to prove that you have been cured, how do you know you have gotten rid of it? The spirochetes reproduce VERY slowly and there are different forms and doxy does NOT kill them all. I have no recollection of a tick bite nor bulls eye rash. I probably got sick probably many years after my initial infection after repeated stresses to my immune system. There are many more like me who disagree with the CDC's definition of Lyme. Doctors who treat us are under attack all over the country. Lyme is a serious, debilitating disease! Please see www.lymenet.com Julie in SW Florida
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I concur that it is entirely possible to have Lyme disease repeatedly. I'm up to Round 4, and very much the same pattern: first was worst, and then you are extremely vigilant, and always keep doxycycline on hand (per your doctor's prescription, of course).
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Susan, no worries, it's not ignorant at all! I wouldn't put rose geranium oil directly on your skin. It is recommended that you mix a drop or two with a tablespoon of oil (like olive oil) and then apply that directly to your skin, if you choose to go that route.
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Janice: you can put rose geranium on your dogs. There are actually anti-tick-and-flee sprays available on the web site that I link to in the article. You should look for rose geranium, not just geranium. And cats tend to be very sensitive to essential oils. I would check with your vet before using it directly.
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pat, allow me to clarify:
a. Once you have Lyme in your system, there is a bit of the disease still in you. Therefore, it is easier to contract again after you have had it once. Both my mother and I had terrible cases our first time, but have been able to catch it early after that and so have not had bad cases at all. If you were to ask people who live in the woods of the northeast, I do believe that you would find others like us, and perhaps not think us quite the medical miracle.
b. sorry to confuse. Reading this back, I see where I got somewhat muddled. Storms caused the excitement, which caused the dogs to jump on me (while I was sitting on a white chair), which then caused me to worry about ticks, which then made me remember that I was covered in rose geranium from work and therefore was (hopefully!) safe from the ticks.
hope that clears some things up!
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My question is (due to my ignorance I am sure) can you put the oil on directly and not dilute it. I thought there was only a few oils you can use directly like lavender, Tea tree to name a couple.
Thanks,
Sue
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how about cats can i use palmrosa or rose geranium on cats,.,,is rose geranium the same as geranium when buying essential oils
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Thanks again for the tip, Green Girl! Ticks (and fleas) seem to have a particular taste for me too. It's a relief to know that there are non-toxic options for staying critter-free.
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