Summer Is in Full Bloom, but so Is Lyme Disease: 3 Natural Ways to Keep Ticks Away

Bonjour! I hope you’re all doing well and getting some vitamin D-filled sun this summer! But just remember to watch out for ticks. Try these three remedies that keep ticks at bay.

Ticks are everywhere nowadays. It’s kinda a bummer because the summer is the time for you to be outdoors to store up some vitamin D and immerse yourself in nature’s full glory. But there’s been an upswing in white-footed mice in the Northeast, and that’s to blame for a lot of the upsurge in tick activity. What’s worse, these mice are known to carry the bacteria that’s responsible for Lyme disease – so the ticks suck their blood, start carrying the Lyme disease bacteria, then are now capable of transmitting them to people.

But don’t worry, nature has an answer to everything. Here are three natural remedies that can protect you from ticks and their potential Lyme disease danger:

1. Vinegar

Vinegar is like one of the most powerful natural remedies. It’s been used for centuries to treat far too many things – from GI diseases to acne. It turns out that vinegar also repels bugs, including ticks. All you need to do is make a half-half solution of vinegar and water and apply it on your skin.

As a bonus, the vinegar will help clear blemishes, promote toxin release through your skin’s pores, and if you apply it to your hair, it clears out any toxins left over from hair products. Best of all, it naturally cleanses your skin of bacteria and other microbes.

2. Essential Oils

Natural essential oils, like lavender and eucalyptus, have been found to repel bugs too. They’re used mostly in aromatherapy, and studies show that breathing them in lowers stress, blood pressure, and overall anxiety. They also act on your immune system and can enhance your immunity.

But if you’re using them as a tick repellent, then you’re putting them on your skin. Does that have any health benefits? Yes! Like vinegar, essential oils have natural antiseptic properties and some have even been found to destroy the herpes viruses – which means they could theoretically help treat herpes sores.

3. Tea Tree Oil

If you’re into natural beauty products, you’ve no doubt heard of tea tree oil. The natural cosmetic industry loves to mix it into shampoos, soaps, and all sorts of beauty products. Why? Studies show that a 5 percent concentration of tea tree oil in your shampoo can lower dandruff by 40 percent or more. It’s also been proven to alleviate acne. So it’s like the miracle ingredient for cosmetics.

But tea tree oil also repels bugs! So putting it on your skin and hair not only heals them, but also wards away ticks.

So my friends, enjoy the sunny summer worry-free by using these three remedies when you go outside. Of course, since these are natural remedies, they’re not as powerful or long-lasting as the pharmaceutical, toxin-containing bug sprays. You’ll have to reapply them every so often – I’d do every hour.