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The unique tick repellent was created by children only 17 years old. No one expected their idea to be so successful. Samuel and Miriam were honored in Los Angeles at the globally recognized Intel ISEF young scientists competition. Thanks to their success, the talented high school students gained access to the world, met Nobel laureates, and even had newly discovered asteroids named after them.
Tick repellent
The young scientists focused on a tick repellent and used the power of essential oils for this. They launched the project because they noticed that products available in stores are starting to lose their effectiveness, as ticks are becoming resistant to these substances.
At the same time they aimed to ensure that the new substance against these parasites would contain natural ingredients, not the synthetic chemicals used by manufacturers of existing products.
A natural repellent would not harm human skin, nor the nature around us.
Effects
Scientists from Slovakia launched a study of 13 essential oils, which they applied to the two most well-known species of ticks that trouble many people.
“During the research we found that substances from fennel, nutmeg and anise have up to 4x greater repellent effects than products intended for protection against ticks.”
The price of such a natural repellent would even be much lower than usual. Instead of the average €6, our repellent would cost €1.70.
What helps?
Certain scents of essential oils are literally unbearable to ticks. Ticks have a very sensitive sense of smell and certain odors can even be toxic to them.
So if you are heading into nature, rub your body with an essential oil. You can also apply the oil to your trousers and the ends of your clothing to deter ticks immediately.
For this you can use classic essential oils such as peppermint, eucalyptus or lavender oil. Oil made from lemongrass has also proven effective.
Conclusion
The young scientists did not have it easy at the competition in the USA, but in the end they managed to convince the jury of their success and took home two prizes from this prestigious competition.
More than 1,800 young scientists like the two of them participated in this competition. This success inspired them, showing that their project makes sense and they intend to continue their research.
They want repellents to be made only from natural materials, thereby easing the burden on the environment.
