DIY tick repellent recipe circulates

A DIY tick-repellent recipe using clove, rose geranium, cedarwood and lemongrass circulated on X on Sunday, after user KissMyCarol posted step-by-step mixing and application instructions for clothing and outdoor gear. The post also urged readers to layer clothing, check for ticks after being outside, treat gear and maintain yards to reduce exposure. Those added precautions align in part with federal public-health guidance, but U.S. agencies recommend EPA-registered repellents and permethrin-treated clothing as the established options for preventing tick bites. ### What exactly was in the post that spread? The May 24 X post described a homemade spray built around four essential oils — clove, rose geranium, cedarwood and lemongrass — and framed it as a treatment for clothes and outdoor gear. The post also included practical instructions on covering up outdoors, checking the body for ticks and reducing tick habitat around the home, according to the circulating text and the social-media briefing provided for this story. (cdc.gov) The recipe’s ingredients are not unusual in the broader market for botanical repellents. EPA says clove oil, geranium oil and lemongrass oil are among active ingredients that may be used in certain “minimum risk” pesticide products exempt from federal registration requirements, though that exemption does not itself amount to an EPA finding that a homemade mixture is effective. (wwwnc.cdc.gov) ### Do health agencies recommend homemade oil blends for tick protection? The CDC says people should use EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol or 2-undecanone when trying to prevent tick bites. The agency also recommends treating clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% permethrin or buying pretreated items. (epa.gov) EPA says its repellent guidance covers how to choose products based on protection time, active ingredients and labeling, and the agency’s repellent pages focus on registered products rather than homemade mixtures. CDC says registered repellents, when used as directed, are proven safe and effective. ### What does the evidence say about oils like clove, geranium and cedarwood? A 2024 study in the journal *Parasites & Vectors* found that, in contact assays against lone star ticks, clove ranked ahead of geranium and cedarwood among the natural oils tested. (cdc.gov) But the same study found that in a human fingertip assay, patchouli oil was the only natural oil tested that significantly repelled ticks. The authors said assay results did not always translate cleanly to likely field performance. A separate 2024 CDC journal review by Lars Eisen said unregulated “minimum risk” tick products, often based on botanical oils, are proliferating in the market but can differ substantially in how well they kill or repel ticks. The review said consumers should be aware that effectiveness varies and noted that evidence is more limited for formulated products than for individual ingredients. (pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) ### Which parts of the post do match official prevention advice? CDC says ticks live in grassy, brushy and wooded areas, and that many people encounter them in their own yards or neighborhoods. The agency advises walking in the center of trails, checking clothing for ticks, examining gear and pets, showering within two hours of coming indoors and drying clothes on high heat for 10 minutes to kill ticks on dry clothing. (wwwnc.cdc.gov) Virginia’s health department, echoing CDC and EPA guidance, also recommends repellents such as DEET, picaridin, IR3535, 2-undecanone or oil of lemon eucalyptus, along with permethrin for clothing. It specifically advises checking areas such as armpits, the groin, ears, hairline and backs of knees. ### So what should readers verify before copying the recipe? EPA says ingredient lists and labels matter because registered repellents are reviewed for safety and effectiveness claims, while exempt “minimum risk” products operate under a different regulatory framework. (cdc.gov) CDC says the strongest documented protection steps remain avoiding tick habitat when possible, using an EPA-registered repellent on skin and treating clothing and gear with 0.5% permethrin. (vdh.virginia.gov) As summer outdoor activity increases, the CDC prevention page and EPA repellent guide remain the main federal references for current advice on products, application and after-exposure checks. (cdc.gov)