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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 advise you on 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 that you have as little exposed skin as possible. Avoid tall grasses and bushes; ticks lurk there. At home it is necessary to thoroughly inspect your entire body and check 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 essential oil is intense and penetrating. At the same time a small amount will not create greasy stains on your clothing. Before you go out, roll the roller over your clothing – especially the lower part of the trousers, the sleeves and around the neckline.
Eucalyptus essential oil
You can use eucalyptus oil on its own. Combined 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 overall.
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 the fact that essential oils repel mosquitoes and other nuisance insects. In addition to the roller you can also use another popular method – mix a few drops of essential oil with water and apply a spray to your clothing.
How to prepare a spray repellent that you will always have 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 pharmacy alcohol
- 1 cup of 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 whole body with the head. It is best to hold the tick with tweezers and remove it with a rocking motion. Then disinfect the site with alcohol or Alpy. If the whole tick cannot be removed or the bite area 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.
