Tick Control Using Tick Repellents

DEET

The best known and most often used ingredient in tick and flea repellent today is DEET. The chemical name is N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide or N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide. DEET is used combination with other ingredients to form a repellent solution. DEET is available as a pump spray bottle, aerosol can, lotion, cream, stick or towelette.

When applied directly to the skin, DEET lasts for several hours. It must be reapplied periodically.

The effectiveness of DEET depends primarily on its concentration in the repellent solution. Higher concentrations generally provide longer protection, but increasing the concentration does not provide a proportional increase in length of protection time. Products vary in concentration from 4% to 100%.

Skin absorption, rate of evaporation, amount of perspiration, surrounding air temperature, wind, and other factors also play a role in how long DEET lasts.

DEET is effective at repelling ticks and decreasing the chances of a tick bite. An appropriate concentration of DEET will prevent ticks from biting and attaching, but it may not keep a tick from walking across the skin to unexposed and untreated areas.

DEET has been a popular flea and tick repellent for more than 40 years. Incidents of adverse reactions have been rare. However, a few  reactions to DEET have been reported in medical literature. DEET is absorbed into the bloodstream quickly, so it's wise to minimize the use of high concentrations directly on the skin.

DEET can cause damage to certain synthetic fabrics, plastics, car and furniture finishes.

Permethrin 

Permethrin is another popular flea and tick repellent. Permethrin is a synthetic pyrethroid insecticide rather than a true repellent, and should generally be used on clothing but not skin. Permethrin works by killing ticks on contact with the clothes and can provide high levels of protection against tick and mosquito bites.

Permethrin is available as an aerosol spray. It can be purchased in most lawn and garden centers and sporting goods stores. Permethrin  is generally safe for use with people and pets because it is absorbed poorly through the skin and is inactivated quickly by the body. Skin reactions have been uncommon.

"Natural" or Herbal" Repellents 

Several natural or herbal products containing citronella oil are available, but they're probably less effective against ticks than mosquitoes.

Repellents derived from plants may reduce tick biting or attachment, but are less likely to deter a tick from walking across the skin to an unprotected area.

Related information: Tick Control