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Warm days are ideal for spending time in nature. However, one of the most feared inhabitants of forests, meadows and pastures has also awakened there – ticks. We’ll show you how to effectively protect yourself from this dangerous insect.
What do you need to know to get started?
Basic prevention against ticks includes repellents, long trousers and a top with long sleeves, so you have as little exposed skin as possible. Avoid tall grasses and bushes; ticks lurk there. At home you should thoroughly check your entire body and see whether any ticks have attached.
A trick to stay protected from ticks
All you need is an ordinary lint roller and an essential oil. Put a small amount of essential oil on your hands – ticks have a very well-developed sense of smell and the scent of certain essential oils is very unpleasant to them – even toxic. Apply a small amount of oil to the surface of the roller – a little is enough, the scent of the essential oil is intense and penetrating. At the same time, a small amount won’t leave greasy stains on your clothing. Before you go outside, roll the lint roller over your clothes – especially the lower part of your trousers, sleeves and around the neckline.
Eucalyptus essential oil
You can use eucalyptus oil on its own. In combination with lemongrass oil, however, it repels all insects, mosquitoes and flies.
Lemon essential oil
This oil is considered a very effective repellent against ticks, fleas and lice.
Mint essential oil
This oil is toxic to insects, and therefore to ticks. It is one of the most effective natural repellents available.
Lavender essential oil
Interestingly, the scent of lavender attracts people, calms and acts as a balm for the soul, but ticks cannot tolerate this scent. The same applies to flies and mosquitoes.
Lemongrass
It has a very strong citrus scent and is a natural repellent against fleas and ticks.
Another advantage of this method is that essential oils repel mosquitoes and other annoying insects. In addition to the roller, you can use another popular method – mix a few drops of essential oil with water and spray your clothing.
How to prepare a spray repellent that you can always carry with you in nature?
If you don’t like using chemical repellents, you can use a natural aid made from only three ingredients. For this you need water, alcohol and essential oil. However, it cannot be just any oil, because only certain scents work against ticks.
INGREDIENTS
- 2 teaspoons essential oil
- 2 teaspoons rubbing alcohol
- 1 cup water
Apply every few hours – spray clothing and exposed parts of the body.
How to safely remove a tick?
The most important thing is not to damage the tick or crush it. You need to remove the entire body including the head. The best way is to hold the tick with tweezers and remove it with a rocking motion. Then disinfect the spot with alcohol or Alpa. If the entire tick cannot be removed or the bite site changes (red, itchy or other changes), seek medical help. Do not hesitate to seek it even if you are afraid to remove the tick yourself at home.
