Yes, ticks carry the pathogens that cause Lyme disease. For that, they are one of the deadliest parasites on earth.
But the good news is that ticks are not that hard to kill; if you know just how. In this article, we’ll share with you the best natural, homemade and chemical ways to get rid of ticks for good. Do well to tag along okay?
Best Ways To kill Ticks.
Generally, you can kill ticks with either homemade, natural, or chemical means.
Oftentimes, many people consider using natural means like essential oils like eucalyptus, rosemary, and peppermint oils.
Other natural means include using garlic, cedar, diatomaceous earth, and even thyme have been identified globally as tick killers.
In terms of chemicals, any pesticide that contains either permethrin, fipronil, or bifenthrin will kill ticks.
This is because permethrin, fipronil, and bifenthrin are compounds that damage the nervous system of different insects and arachnids. Ticks, as arachnids, are not left out.
However, you don’t necessarily have to source for industrially-produced pesticides before you get rid of ticks. Because like those pesticides, certain household substances like boric acid, alcohol, and bleach can kill ticks as well.
With that said, let’s look at each method in detail.
How to Kill Ticks Naturally.
Without having to worry about the side-effects of chemicals on nature, the following natural tick killer can help:
- Diatomaceous Earth.
You see, there are two grades of diatomaceous earth: food-grade and filter-grade. Between the duo, the human-safe one is the food-grade diatomaceous earth.
This food-grade substance kills ticks by burning off the oils and fats in their cuticles. For that reason, diatomaceous earth is probably the best natural substance for killing ticks in lawns and gardens.
However, for diatomaceous earth to kill ticks, it must come in direct contact with their skins. So, to use it, sprinkle the diatomaceous all across your lawn.
Likewise, you can rub your pet’s skin with food-grade diatomaceous earth to kill ticks. But then, you need to make sure that your pet is not allergic to the substance before usage.
- Garlic Oil.
Garlic oil is an essential oil extracted from Garlic plants. For ages now, this plant has been hailed for its antibiotic properties.
Against ticks, garlic oil is a good repellent. This is because it has a very pungent and irritating smell that ticks hate.
Aside from that, if you use the right amount of garlic oil, you can kill both adult ticks and eggs via suffocation.
To use it, mix garlic oil or juice with water at about 1:4. Bottle the mixture in a spray can and apply it about twice a week for five weeks.
Likewise, you can also add it to your pet’s food. The smell will not only deter the ticks; it serves as a good source of vitamin B as well.
READ MORE: Do Vinegar Kill Ants?
- Oregano Essential Oil.
Naturally, oregano oil is a herb with a nice scent. For that reason, Italians use this herb at dilute concentrations as a food spice.
However, when concentrated into an essential oil, oregano oil is filled with two very powerful anti-oxidants called Cedrol and Carvacrol.
In one 2014 study, this cedrol was identified as a very effective tick killer. Three years after, another study revealed that the Carvacrol in Oregano can kill the pathogens that cause the fatal Lyme disease.
With that, we can say that oregano essential is a double agent for tick removal. One, it kills the tick. Then again, it can kill the pathogens that the ticks carry.
However, you should note that oregano oil can be quite harsh on sensitive skins. So, use with caution and never apply an undiluted one on any skin.
- Cedarwood Oil.
Cedarwood oil contains a substance called Cedrol. This cedrol can both adult ticks and baby ticks (aka the tick nymphs), says the National Library of Medicine. And it does this by suffocating the ticks.
Better still, you can use cedar oil on yourself, and even on pets like cats and dogs. To use it, you mix the cedar oil with an equal volume of water.
You can use it directly as a paste on the skin. Likewise, you can also bottle it up in a spray can and apply as needed.
- Lemon-Eucalyptus Oil.
In most pesticides today, a cocktail of lemon and eucalyptus oil form the integral ingredient. This is because, like most essential oils, these oils can kill ticks. However, when used on exposed skins, these oils can react to sensitive skins.
So, try to dilute the oils by adding only 15 drops to about 120 ml of water. To allow the proper dissolution of the oil in water, try to add a few drops of solubol.
- Natural Predators.
Ticks, like most animals, fall preys to other animals. Some of these animals include chiggers, ants, beetles like the tiger beetles, chickens, quails, frogs, toads, and wolf spiders.
In nature, these predators serve as the switch to control the population of ticks. Since you as a house owner also look to reduce tick population on your property, you can leverage on the animals we mentioned above.
- Red Thyme.
Red thyme is quite different from white thyme. This is because to get red thyme, you need to distill white thyme about two times.
The red thyme so obtained is highly antiseptic. Because like the oregano oil, red thyme also carvacrol. As said earlier, this substance is a scientifically proven tick killer.
To use red thyme on ticks, mix about 5 drops of it in a carrier like a jojoba oil. Then, apply on infected areas as needed. But one quick note though. Always use red thyme in diluted form. Never use it otherwise.
- Neem Seed.
When asked, most people think ticks parasitize only men and common pets like cats and dogs. However, the tick is a parasite of mammals. As such, ticks can also affect other animals like cattle, horses, and goats.
According to a verified study documented in the Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Neem seed can kill tick eggs and larvae. Its efficiency even goes double when used on animals like cattle and goats.
This is because the highly concentrated paste of neem seed detaches ticks from the skins of these animals. Likewise, it also repels and kills the ticks.
To use it, mix powdered neem seed with a carrier oil. Then, apply the concentrated paste directly to the skin areas infected by ticks.
READ MORE: Does Dawn Soap Kill Fleas?
How to Kill Ticks With Home Remedies
Sometimes, ticks bother us so much that we look for quick ways to kill them. One of the fastest ways to kill ticks can be found in our chicken; our common household agent.
In this section, we’ll discuss those house agents that can be used to kill ticks:
- Alcohol.
Yes, it’s true; alcohol can kill ticks. However, you cannot use it to drive out the tick in your skin or that of your pet.
So, to use alcohol to kill your tick, you need to first pull out the tick using a pair of tweezers. Once you have the tick, throw it inside a jar of alcohol. Within a few seconds, the tick will die.
But note this; alcohol is quite dangerous when applied or sprayed directly on the skin of your pets. So, use alcohol with caution or not at all.
- Bleach.
Because of its antiseptic nature, bleach can kill ticks. To use it, mix bleach with an equal amount of water.
Afterward, you can apply this mixture to kill ticks on clothes and gardens. But be sure not to spray your plants directly with bleach. Bleach, of course, can lead to yellowing of the leaves when used in excess amounts.
Other substances that can kill ticks include Boric acid, aka Borax, and Dishwashing Detergents.
FAQs About How to Kill Ticks.
1) Can you squish a tick with your bare hands or feet?
Ticks are classified into two groups. Those with soft skins are called soft ticks. Whereas those with thick shields near the backside of their mouth are called hard ticks.
Oftentimes, some people do prescribe that you squash a live tick with your bare hands or feet to kill soft ticks. However, this is neither hygienic nor safe.
This is because ticks are carriers of contagious pathogens. So, if you squish an infected tick with your bare hands or feet, you risk exposure to these fatal diseases.
Instead of squishing the ticks, drop them inside a jar of alcohol. This will kill the tick within a few minutes.
2) Will Salt Kill Ticks?
As we all know, salt is a natural drying agent. For that reason, many locals do use salt as a supplement to sun-dry meat and fish.
However, for now, using salt as a tick killer has no scientific backing. Even though, salt has been known to kill fleas by drying them from inside out.
3) Does Vinegar Kill Ticks?
The short answer to this is no, vinegar cannot, in any way, kill ticks. However, this doesn’t mean that vinegar is totally useless when it comes to tick removal.
That’s because ticks hate the pungent smell of vinegar. As such, they tend to avoid it.
Because of this, vinegar can be used to drive out ticks that drill into your skin or that of your pets. To do this, mix water and vinegar in an equal ratio.
Afterward, soak a cotton and dab the burrowing tick near its tail end. Then, gently pull out the tick with a pair of tweezers and drop it in a cup of concentrated vinegar.
However, you should not apply vinegar to your cats. This is because to the cat’s skin, vinegar is a desiccant. As such, vinegar can dry out a cat’s skin and pave way for certain infections.
4) How to Kill Tick Eggs and Larvae?
Tick eggs and larvae are often found near their nests. These nests are found on animal skins, leaf paths, or any other suitable places.
To kill the tick eggs and the larvae, the following methods can help:
- Wearing protective gloves, remove the tick nests and put them in an alcohol jar.
- If the eggs and larvae are found on the skin, apply a diluted cocktail of neem oil and jojoba oil.
In both methods, the tick eggs, tick larvae, and tick nests would die off.
READ MORE: How To Get Rid Of Ant Hills.
5) How to Use Oregano Oil to Repel and Kill Ticks?
To use oregano oil as a tick killer, follow these steps in tandem:
- Mix about 6 drops of Oregano oil to another carrier oi; twice that amount.
- Dab the mixture with a cotton swab and apply very little on exposed skin areas. This is called a patch test.
- Wait about 30 minutes for side effects. Proceed no further if there is any.
- Otherwise, apply to all affected skin areas on humans, dogs, and cats.
- Likewise, you can bottle up the oregano mixture in a spray can.
- Apply it to clothes, beddings, socks, and even shoes to kill ticks.
6) How to Kill Ticks in Cars?
To get rid of ticks from your car, the following steps can work. Just follow them in tandem:
- Try to park your car away from shade and directly in the sun for about 5 hours or more. The hot temperature will help to kill the ticks.
- Take your time to vacuum your entire car. Add to that, brush down all your car seats. Then, use steamers to kill the surviving ticks.
- Even after steam-heating and vacuuming, some ticks (especially those in confined spaces) still make it out alive.
- To kill these ticks, get, unpackage and place a Nuvian strip in your car for about 3 days. Then, come back to air your car for about 2 hours. By then all ticks therein should be dead.
Final Words.
Ticks, when not treated right, might prove stubborn to eliminate. However, chemicals that contain permethrin and bifenthrin can kill them.
Likewise, household agents like boric acid, bleach, and dishwashing detergents can also kill ticks. Just make sure you use each technique the right way; minding the precautions.