We love creating a natural biodynamic garden environment and use natural remedies whenever possible. Living in the woods with dogs and a cat, we wanted to learn about plants that repel ticks and fleas that might help control these pests if planted in our yard and garden.

Gardening is an absolute joy and our place of peace and solitude, and while the yard and garden may feel like a sanctuary, it comes with tiny stealthy pests that plague pets and are happy to feed on our humans too. Fleas, ticks, and mosquitos will inevitably show up.

If you’re health conscious, and want to go the natural route as often as possible, the good news is that there are some surprisingly strong alternatives to harsh manufactured bug sprays. And… there may be plants that repel ticks and fleas by virtue of growing in your yard and garden.

However, the details aren’t easily discernible, and scientific studies of plants in the ground is scant.

First, an Important Note on the Science and the Lore

Many of these plants that repel ticks and fleas work best as homemade sprays.

Some may work by nature of the growing plant, however, most plants repel best when the leaves are brushed or crushed to release the essential oils that deter ticks. And beyond that, as tinctures and essential oils used alone or in natural remedies such as homemade flea and tick repellent sprays.

Even after exhaustive research, we’ve not yet found scientific studies with proof of any plants-in-the-ground that repel ticks and fleas, versus as essential oils, extract repellents, or by being crushed enough to release the fragrant oils.

However, an absence of scientific research doesn’t prove that the planted or potted plants are not effective repellents. It simply means that there hasn’t yet been documented studies. If the oil of a plant deters ticks, it’s logical to consider that planting the plant might also tend to deter ticks.

So this article provides a look at several perspectives on flea and tick repellent plants.

Two Perspectives on Flea and Tick Repellent Plants

1. Anecdotal reports of plants that help deter ticks and fleas in your yard and garden. This can be based on native traditions, folklore and direct reporting of experience from our readers
2. Scientific studies of plant extracts that repel ticks and fleas

We get into each of these in the sections to follow.

Anecdotal Reports on Plants That Repel Ticks and Fleas

This is a compilation of stories shared from the experiences of our readers. We find merit in considering “field testing” by those with boots on the ground. That said, what works for one in one environment, may not work for another in another environment.

But we enjoy experimenting and growing plants with multiple uses. So if there’s a possibility of repelling common pests, even if it requires crushing a leaf or two as we pass by it in the yard or garden, then it’s worth a try. Beyond that, homemade repellent sprays are easy to make from the plants we grow, and can be sprayed on people and pets alike.

We are growing many herbs such as basil, oregano and mints and have not had any issues with ticks in our garden. However, that in and of itself is not conclusive as to the efficacy of plants for repelling ticks.

Without documented research, we look to direct experience and anecdotal reports of others, which often vary. However, varying results in an of itself is also not conclusive.

Dog Yards Benefit by Herbs That Repel Ticks and Fleas

“I had excellent results planting herbs around the dog yards. They self medicate and enjoy laying in most of these plants.”
Editor’s Note: See the list of plants for some of the herbs Lesley Might have used.

Lesley Cole

Does Mint or Oregano Repel Ticks?

While many articles cite mint and/or oregano as an effective tick repellent, most do not specify whether it is the plant or an essential oil extract. The scientific research shows that mint oils, especially peppermint oil, are effect at repelling ticks.

A reader shared a different experience:

“I have a large section of my yard planted in mints and oregano. My chickens graze there. This is the place I am most likely to pick up a tick.”

~Theresa Hornstein

Planting Pennyroyal May Reduce or Eliminate Fleas, Ticks, Mosquitoes and Flies

“We have encouraged pennyroyal on our meadows. We no longer have ticks, fleas, flies, or mosquitoes after cows brought pennyroyal up river to our meadows.

Pennyroyal followed us to the house on our tires. Years later we no longer have tics, fleas, flies or mosquitoes bothering us or our dogs & cats. Pennyroyal integrates into the lawns nicely. Mowing it creates more plants.”

Elizabeth Glenn Brewer

Native American Indians Used Sweetgrass to Repel Ticks and Fleas

Sweetgrass, a Perennial Plant That Repels Ticks, Fleas and Mosquitos

Using plants to repel ticks and fleas is not a new concept. The Flathead tribe of Montana and the Blackfoot people of Alberta, Canada, used sweetgrass as a natural insect repellent for thousands of years. They would burn sweetgrass and soak their clothing or sachets in the smoke.

Sweetgrass oil was recently tested for its efficacy, and it turns out that it repels 88% of mosquitos (this test did not test on ticks).^[1]https://www.acsh.org/news/2016/11/01/sweetgrass-deet-traditional-native-american-herbal-remedy-acts-mosquito-repellent

Another study in Boston was able to prove that sweetgrass oil matches the same repellency as DEET. So if you’re looking for plants that repel ticks and mosquitoes, sweetgrass oil or smudging with sweetgrass may be for you.^[2]https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-sweet-smelling-herb-can-ward-away-mosquitoes-180956291/

Today, you don’t have to soak your clothing or belongings in smoke to repel ticks, though. We’re going to share some of the most effective plants and their oils that will repel ticks and possibly make you smell really good in the process. Let’s get into it!

Native North American Indians have used sweetgrass as a natural insect repellent for thousands of years.

The Most Effective Plants That Repel Ticks

While the scientific studies referenced in the footnotes are all studies using essential oils or extracts, many people report experiencing beneficial results from the plant itself. In particular, if the plant is brushed against or purposefully rubbed onto a pet for instance.

Creeping Thyme and Citronella Oils

Swedish scientists learned that by combining Creeping Thyme (Thymus serpyllum), and Citronella oil (at a 1.5% concentration of each), you get a 91% repellency against Ornate Dog Ticks.^[3]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28645519/

At 3%, creeping thyme alone, will repel 82% of ticks. Creeping thyme is also a lovely edible ground cover.

Clove Tree

Slovakia-United Kingdom Scientists discovered that clove bud repels 83% of ticks when it is diluted to 3%.^[4]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28645519/

In this study, Clove essential oil proved to be 100% effective at a 25% concentration.

Garlic

Scientists in South Africa used Hyalomma rufipes ticks to test their garlic tick-repellent.

In this study, ten gallons of fresh garlic bulbs were crushed and then boiled for an hour and a half to extract 20 mL of Dichloromethane (DCM).

At a concentration of 1.4%, the DCM extract of garlic bulbs resulted in a more than 87% of ticks being repelled.^[5]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6138159/ One study showed some efficacy of garlic spray for reducing ticks in lawns.^[6]https://academic.oup.com/jme/article/52/4/722/2459658

See types of garlic to grow.

Red Thyme

Red Thyme will repel 68% of Ornate Dog Ticks when it is diluted to 3%, according to Slovakian scientists.^[7]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28645519/

Thyme essential oil at a 25% concentration has a 100% efficacy rate. ^[8]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6925501/

Basil Jolina, (Ocimum basilicum var. Jolina)

According to scientists in Nova Scotia, a 15% concentrate of basil Jolina successfully repelled 96% of American dog ticks and blacklegged ticks for two hours.^[9]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35230583/

When this concentrate was mixed with granite rock dust, it killed 100% of the ticks within a day.

IDEA: Plant basil plants around pet areas and mulch with granite gravel to deter and eliminate ticks.

Dalmation Daisies (Pyrethrum)

Pyrethrum is used to create Pyrethrin. Pyrethrin the go-to backup when DEET is deemed unsafe for people who have adverse reactions to the repellent.

There are several similar pesticides to Pyrethrin, called Pyrethroid, which are made by including additional synthetic chemicals and chemical processes. Pyrethroid lasts longer than Pyrethrin, but it is not organic.

Pyrethrum can effectively last on sprayed surfaces (such as porches, decks, or home siding) for weeks at a time. According one study found that pyrethrum causes an 80% mortality rate in ticks and mosquitoes after just one hour.^[10]https://academic.oup.com/jme/article/46/3/516/859602

Lemon Eucalyptus

In Sweden, a sample of 111 people tested the efficacy of a lemon eucalyptus extract (Citridiol) spray over a two-week period. The group was split in half, with half working as a control group.

Their findings revealed that forty-two ticks attached themselves to the Citriodiol-wearing group, while one hundred and twelve ticks attached themselves to the group that did not wear the spray.

Those who wore the Eucalyptus oil spray were 2.66 times less likely to be bitten by a tick.

Spearmint

In the UK, scientists tested mint as a possible natural clothing tick-repellent. They found that a 5% concentrate of spearmint was as effective as 20% DEET.^[11]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31578646/

Oregano Oil

In the same study as the Spearmint efficacy test (above), scientists also found that a 5% concentration of Oregano oil was as effective as 20% DEET.^[12]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31578646/

Pine Oil

Pine Oil has 100% repellency at 100% concentration, according to this 2005 study in India. If you’re searching for shade plants that repel ticks, pine oil may be the perfect solution for you.^[13]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6925501/

Citronella (Lemongrass Oil)

Citronella was shown to have a 100% efficacy rate at 100% concentration, and was effective at this rate for eleven hours.^[14]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6925501/

Peppermint Oil

According to these scientists in India in 2000, peppermint oil has 100% efficacy for 11 hours at 100% concentration.^[15]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6925501/

Other Tick Repelling Plant Oils

• Catnip – has a 100% efficacy rate at 20% concentration. If you’re looking for plants that repel ticks and are safe for dogs, this is the plant for you!
• Cinnamon essential oil has a 100% efficacy rate at 20% concentration.
• Rosemary essential oil has a 100% efficacy rate at 20% concentration.
• Niaouli essential oil has a 100% efficacy rate at 20% concentration.
• Violet essential oil has a 100% efficacy rate at 20% concentration.
• Lavender oil has an 80% efficacy rate at a 20% concentration.
• Juniper essential oil has a 76% efficacy at 20% concentration.
• Olive essential oil has a 71% efficacy at 20% concentration.
• Geranium oil has a 61% efficacy rate at 20% concentration.
• Eucalyptus has a 28% efficacy rate at a 20% concentration.
• Sage has a 19% efficacy rate at a 20% concentration.

You can find the source for each of the above studies here.^[16]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6925501/

Plants That Repel Ticks in the Yard and Garden

If you aren’t interested in making your own botanical bug spray, try planting some of these tick-repelling plants.

For now, there aren’t any official studies on plants that repel ticks on their own, without being turned into a concentrated oil. Still, there are generations upon generations worth of trial and error in the garden.

While they may not be officially approved, these plants get the old wives’ stamp of approval. Almost all of these plants are believed to inhibit tick populations because of their strong scents. This is plausible because ticks have sensitive olfactory sensors that are hyper-aware of surrounding scents.

In-Ground Plants to Repel Ticks from Your Garden

• Sweet Basil
• Beautyberry
• Catnip
• Chrysanthemums (this includes daisies too)
• Eucalyptus
• Garlic
• Geranium
• Juniper
• Mint – (see anecdotal info on the mint plant)
  • Peppermint
  • Spearmint
• Lavender
• Lemongrass
• Marigolds (especially Mexican Marigolds)
• Pennyroyal – (see anecdotal pennyroyal plant info)
• Rosemary
• Sage
• Thyme
• Wormwood

We have encouraged pennyroyal on our meadows and we no longer have ticks, fleas, flies, or mosquitoes. Pennyroyal integrates into the lawns nicely and mowing it creates more plants.

Elizabeth Glenn Brewer

Trees You Can Plant to Deter Ticks

Some of these are known tick deterrents, but this article is more about plants than trees, so this is just a brief warm-up for you on this topic.

• Beech
• Birch
• Black Locust
• Black Tupelo
• Cedar –
  • Alaska yellow cedar
  • Japanese cedar
• Chestnut
• Cypress –
  • Bald Cypress
  • False Cypress
• Dawn Redwood
• Fir –
  • Balsam fir – can kill blacklegged ticks according to a Dalhousie University study
  • Douglas fir
• Fringe
• Ironwood
• Lemon Eucalyptus – the oil^[17]https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20640444/
• Pawpaw
• Pine –
  • Juniper
  • Scotch Pine
  • Spruce
  • Sycamore
• Tulip poplar

There haven’t been any official studies conducted on the relationship between tree species and tick populations. But we can learn a lot of lessons from nature from simple trial and error, along with simple observation and reflection.

Observe the Plants and Trees in Areas Around You

Consider your land and areas you frequent. Observe where you go that has fewer ticks, and notice where you seem to pick up more ticks.

That’s what our contributing writer, Sarah Hamelman, did.

Anecdotal Observations on Trees and Plants That Repel Ticks

There is a beautiful section of my forest here in northwestern Montana that is almost completely composed of Douglas Fir and Spruce. I have spent many hours in this grove gathering firewood for our long winters, and I have never found a tick on my children or myself after visiting it.

Conversely, ticks seem to be attracted to oaks. One speculation is that mice feed on the acorns of oak trees, which encourages the tick population to grow in these areas. It’s safe to assume that if a tree attracts mammals, it’s likely to indirectly bring in more ticks too.

Ticks tend to avoid a lot of southern exposure in warmer regions because the heat is too much. Where I live, though, ticks are almost exclusively found on south-facing mountainsides and fields with southern exposure.

Ponderosa, Limber, and my favorite — Lodgepole pines — are abundant in these warm pockets, but they are a sure sign that ticks are nearby.
~Sarah Hamelman, writer, homesteader, living 4,200 feet up in the Salish Mountains in northwestern Montana

So please tell us… we’d love to hear from you:

• Which plants and trees will you add to your yard or garden for tick protection
• Would you (or do you) make your own tick repellent from your garden plants that repel ticks and fleas?
• If you have any direct experience with plants that repel ticks and/or fleas, we’d very much appreciate reading about it from you… just drop us an email.

Animals That Eat Ticks

“Opossums eat ticks!! Be good to possums..They do not carry diseases like most people assume.

Gail Mikyska

But there are more that we’ve covered in this article on animals and birds that eat ticks.

For more on organic pest control, you may also be interested in this article on birds that eat mosquitoes.

Why Use Natural Tick Deterrents Instead of Manufactured Sprays?

When you think of tick and insect repellent, you probably think of the pesticide Diethyltoluamide or DEET for short. DEET is a chemical (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) and active ingredient that is used in almost every insect repellent.

This chemical has been used by millions of people over the last forty years, so its safety has been thoroughly tested. DEET is approved by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Association), and AAP (American Association of Pediatrics).

Still, a small part of the population has experienced adverse reactions such as toxic, allergic, and neurological reactions. Other people experience mild annoyances when using DEET, such as contact dermatitis, tingling of the skin, or mild irritation.

Here are a few other reasons why people may choose to avoid manufactured bug and tick spray.

FDA Approved, CDC, EPA, FDA and AAP Approved DEET and Why You Might Want to Avoid It

• ODOR – It has a strong, distinctive odor that many people dislike.
• GREASY – The concentrate is greasy and sits on top of the skin (it has to, to be effective)
• It is not recommended to use more than 30% concentrate on children under the age of two years. Children two months and younger should not use it at all.
• STAIN – DEET will stain clothing, cloth, wood, plastic, leather, and vinyl. It is difficult if not impossible to remove.
• CHEMICALS – DEET is the chemical N, N diethyl-m-toluamide. This includes toluene, which is commonly used to make plastic, cement, rubber, and paint remover. Since bug spray is eventually absorbed by the skin and then passed into the bloodstream, many people don’t want chemicals like these in their tick repellents.
• BANNED – Europe has banned DEET repellents that are of 10% concentration or higher. This raises safety concerns for many people.^[18]https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-8-2016-001673_EN.html
• RESTRICTED – New York has also restricted DEET, allowing no more than 30% concentration due to its link to skin blisters, seizures, and the death of three children.

I react strongly to DEET, so I will never use it I like using the natural herbs that don’t make me sick or break out into a rash.

Loretta Snow

Everything You Need To Know About Ticks

There are an estimated eight hundred fifty tick species across the globe! Ninety of of these live in the United States. However the good news is that only a few of these actually bite humans.

Of 90 varieties of ticks in the United States, only a few bite humans.

10 Common Types of Ticks

Here’s a list of the 10 most common ticks in North America:

1. American Dog Tick (Dermacentor variabilis). Found in grassy fields and low-lying brush. They are all over the United States but are less common in the Rocky Mountains and Hawaii.
2. Blacklegged Deer Ticks (Ixodes scapularis). They are found in the Eastern US, as well as North, Central, Midwest, and South US. They prefer wooded and grassy regions where large and small mammals are present.
3. Brown Dog Ticks (Rhipicephalus sanguineus). These ticks live all over the US because they primarily target dogs, and can spend their entire lifecycle indoors without issue. They are most common in dog beds, kennels, furniture, and carpet wherever dogs are present.
4. Lone Star Ticks (Amblyomma americanum). As their name indicates, they are present in the US South and Eastern USA.
5. Ornate Dog Tick (Dermacentor reticulatus). Most commonly found in Europe and Western Asia. It is not known to be in the US but is used in many European studies that test botanical tick repellents.
6. Rocky Mountain Wood Ticks (Dermacentor andersoni). Generally speaking, these ticks live at elevations of 4,000 feet or higher in the American Rockies, where they prey on large mammals.
7. Groundhog Ticks (Ixodes cookei). These ticks usually don’t bother humans as they prefer small mammals but will on occasion. They are primarily found in the eastern half of the US.
8. Pacific Coast Tick (Dermacentor occidentalis). These ticks bite hard and leave wounds that resemble spider bites. They are most often found between Baha, Mexico, and Northern Oregon.
9. Soft Ticks (Ornithodoros). These ticks are commonly found in rodent-infested spaces or caves.
10. Western Blacklegged Tick (Ixodes pacificus). This one primarily lives in California and Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. They live along deer trails, in thickets, and on grassy coastlines.

Diseases Transmitted by Ticks in the United States

Of the many diseases transmitted by ticks, here are just some of the most common diseases ticks can carry or cause:

• Alpha Gal, is a tick borne disease from the lone star tick that can transmit a molecule that causes alpha–gal syndrome, which is an allergy to red meat.
• Anaplasmosis – caused by the bacterium Anaplasma phagocytophilum spread to people by tick bites primarily from the blacklegged tick (Ixodes scapularis) and the western blacklegged tick (Ixodes pacificus), and can cause flu-like symptoms.
• Lyme Disease – causes headaches, fever, and skin rash. Will infect people and damage the heart, joints, and nervous system.
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever – causes intense vomiting, chills, fatigue, headaches, high fevers of 102 to 103°F, severe abdominal pain, rashes, and muscle aches and pains. It can lead to meningitis, gangrene, kidney failure, neurological damage, seizures, or comas. It can also cause heart, lungs, liver, or spleen inflammation. Untreated, it can cause death.
• Tularemia – causes painfully swollen lymph nodes, diarrhea, pneumonia, skin ulcers, inflamed eyes, sore throats, dry cough, mouth sores, chills, fevers, headaches, muscle aches, joint pain, and extreme fatigue.
• Tick Paralysis – causes ataxia and paralysis that starts in the extremities and spreads inward. It feels like numbness or tingling in the process. It will affect the respiratory system and can lead to death if untreated.
• Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever – this infection causes headaches, joint aches, muscle aches, and high fevers. It is especially dangerous during pregnancy. Five to ten percent of untreated cases lead to death, but antibiotics will kill the bacteria.
• STARI (Southern tick-associated rash illness). It will cause stiff neck, fever, headaches, and muscle and joint pain. It resembles a milder Lyme disease, but there are not any medications available to cure it yet.

How Do Ticks Get On People?

Contrary to popular belief in some regions, ticks do not fall, fly, or jump onto hosts. Instead, ticks climb up trees, bushes, brush, or grasses and wait for a person or mammal to brush by them.

Usually, ticks extend their two front legs outward towards you and use them to climb up when contact is made. These front legs are also filled with olfactory sensors. Ticks use their legs to smell you and the slight amounts of ammonia in your sweat glands.

Ticks can detect heat, vibrations, moisture, and even body odor, so it’s easy for them to prepare for their approaching hosts. They are able to detect even the slightest amounts of carbon dioxide that people and animals exhale.

They may attach where they first made contact, or they could wander around looking for softer skin or more desirable hiding places, such as scalps, ears, or pubic areas. If you are wearing tick-repellent, the tick may choose not to bite, fall off the person, or it may wander around looking for an area of your body that is not coated with repellent.

The repellent is not intended to kill ticks (or other pests). Instead, it is used to deter them from climbing on or biting people.

Conclusion

So more research is needed to identify those plants that ticks will avoid by virtue of being planted in the ground. However, don’t hold your breath.

Research is expensive and time consuming, and with no financial reward for corporations that make products. So this is a subject that needs government or philanthropic funding, and that may also be hard to come by.

We enjoy experimenting and discovering what works “in the field” of our own experience. So what we can do is experiment in our own yard by planting more of these plants that repel ticks, and then to observe if we notice any lessening of tick problems in those areas.

But while we’re at it, we can also make homemade tick repellent, basically for free, using the plants from our yard and garden that are found in natural tick repellents.