Tick Repellents

Using EPA-registered insect repellents can help protect you and your family from the bite of infected ticks and mosquitoes!

Repellents help keep ticks and mosquitoes away from people. Active ingredients (AI) are the compounds that allow a product to perform as intended. These compounds can be synthetic (like DEET) or naturally derived (like oil of lemon eucalyptus).

The concentration of the active ingredient in a product does not make it more effective at repelling, it affects how long that repellency will last. This is important when selecting an active ingredient because the length of time you need protection will affect how often you need to reapply the product.

Some repellents can be applied directly to the skin, including those that use DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and oil of lemon eucalyptus as active ingredients. Even though DEET, picaridin, and IR3535 are synthetically derived, they are labelled for use on children as young as 2 months old. Oil of lemon eucalyptus is naturally derived; however, it is not recommended for children under the age of 3.

Look for the active ingredient when choosing the best repellent for you.

Some repellents are applied exclusively to clothing. Permethrin is a very effective contact insecticide that can be applied to clothing, shoes, backpacks, tents, and other materials as an alternative to skin-applied repellents. Application to clothing and gear should be in a safe location that avoids pets since permethrin is toxic to cats before it dries. 

When using a repellent, avoid:

• Overapplying- use enough repellent to cover exposed skin but do not fully saturate
• Applying it directly to the face- apply to your hands first and then rub sparingly on your face
• Applying over cuts or other wounds

Please note, that not all products will be as effective against ticks as they are against mosquitoes. You can use the EPA search tool to find the repellent that works for you.

Additional information on repellents can be found here.