Not Chemicals: Here's An Easy DIY Spray To Help Keep Ticks Out Of Your Yard

From April to August, when the days get longer and temperatures warm up, it's natural to want to spend more time outdoors enjoying the sunshine. However, with warm weather comes ticks, and no one wants to invite ticks to the party. While ticks can be found almost any time of the year, they tend to be most active during spring and summer. During that time, many homeowners chose to spray their yards with acaricides, pesticides that target ticks, but there are safer alternatives. 

Acaricides are chemicals, such as permethrin, deltamethrin, and cypermethrin, that are highly effective at eliminating these pests. Unfortunately, they also pose health dangers to both people and animals, such as long-term neurological issues, headaches, and seizures. If you have cats or dogs that spend their afternoons rolling in the grass, these chemicals can linger on paws and fur. When your pets lick, they can accidentally ingest the chemicals, putting them at risk of exposure.

Using natural acaricides lets you protect your landscape while letting pets and children explore freely. Essential oils are natural acaricides that use botanical extracts to help you keep ticks out of your yard, and a particularly effective option is heartwood of yellow cedar oil. 

Yellow cedar trees are found along the northwest Pacific coast of North America. The trees contain sweet-smelling compounds, particularly nootkatone, which is a naturally occurring acaricide. Heartwood of yellow cedar oil not only repels ticks, it also affects their nervous systems, killing them when they come into contact with it. To use the heart of yellow cedar, mix a third cup of distilled water with a fourth cup of witch hazel in a spray bottle. Add 30 drops of heartwood of yellow cedar essential oil. Spray your yard generously, especially in areas where your family and animals spend the most time. 

Natural oils break down much faster than insecticides, especially when exposed to UV light, heat, and rain. For best results, you may need to reapply once a week or as needed to keep ticks away.  If you find a tick nest in your yard, you may want to consider enlisting a professional's help. 

Ticks tend to thrive in moist and shady areas, so an important step in tick prevention is to remove leaf piles, stacked wood, and brush piles. It is also a good idea to keep your grass cut. In addition, you can also keep ticks away this season with a DIY repellent if you'd like a spray-on option for the body. There are also additional essential oils that can help keep pests out of your home and garden, such as citronella, peppermint, and cedarwood.