Rose Geranium For Ticks

After a blessed three month winter reprieve, our two dogs (Sammy and Cleo) are bringing home deer and dog ticks again. So far, just a few a day, but it will soon get a lot worse. Because the whole family
has suffered from Lyme disease, I have taken finding natural
repellents very seriously.

Here are the easy and effective ways I’ve found for keeping ticks away without resorting to toxic chemicals.

After digging deep in many old herbalist
books I came across mention of Rose Geranium as being an
excellent tick repellent. Palmerosa, a cousin of Rose Geranium,
is also effective. I put just a drop or two—no more—of pure essential oil of rose geranium on each dog’s cloth collar every week, and it really
keeps the ticks away. Check with your vet before using essential oils on cats.

I’d still check the pets daily for ticks. Deer
ticks are the size of poppy seeds and incredibly hard to spot
at the nymph stage so common in the spring. One essential oil
company that offers pure Rose Geranium is Aura Cacia from
Frontier Natural Products. If you’d prefer a ready-made product,
Quantum Herbal products sells a tick and flea
spray for pets with pure Rose Geranium as its main active
ingredient. Both products are available in health food stores.
Note: Pregnant women are advised to avoid essential oils.

Read more: Pets, Natural Remedies, Pests

By Annie B. Bond

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Charles G.

5:09AM PDT on Jul 3, 2011

I'd love this to be true but it's a myth about Rose Geranium oil. Not five minutes ago I took five ticks off my dog, put them on a piece of paper and dropped some neat rose geranium oil into the middle of them. The ticks were utterly indifferent to it, some even crawled towards it - it has zero effect of them. I'm getting tired of seeing this 'wisdom' repeated on the internet - it does not work.

send a green star

Debby G.

8:31AM PDT on Jun 24, 2011

I have a niece with many animals in Virginia - the ticks are horrible. I will pass on this info...thanks!

criss S.

5:05PM PDT on Jun 23, 2011

Ty for the article.

Kathy M.

9:16AM PST on Mar 10, 2011

Great Info

Bon L.

10:37PM PST on Mar 9, 2011

Thanks for the info.

Eternal G.

11:32PM PST on Feb 25, 2010

Treat them (after they've been bitten) with homeopathic Ledum.
The stuff works a treats on all animals(meaning humans too!!).

Bill U.

5:53PM PST on Jan 1, 2010

thanks

Paul C.

7:52PM PDT on May 14, 2009

My experience is rose geranium oil does NOTHING! I have tried it for 2 years and it never works, I put pure undiluted rose geranium oil on my Beagle and on my cloths. Every time we come back covered with both wood ticks and deer ticks. Save your money and get a fine toothed comb, and comb your dog after returning from the field.

Anne H.

11:11AM PDT on May 9, 2008

Please don't waste money on essential oils thru an MLM company. Btw contrary to statement made above eo's cannot be used on cats, hydrosols CAN be used. I am a professional aromatherapist and good products CAN be bought at health food stores and also online at several places including av-at.com and naturesgift.com

11:09AM PDT on May 9, 2008

Please don't fall for the hype about MLM essential oils. There are plenty of great pure essential oils in your health food store. Btw contrary to the wrong info being put out by MLM companies please do NOT put eo's on cats. I am a professional aromatherapist and its frightening what this MLM company will say in order to sell. Two great retail resources that won't steer you wrong are av-at.com and naturesgift.com. These are two companies well respected among aromatherapists.