A commercial insect repellent containing the active ingredient DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) can be used to repel ticks. For children, use repellents with DEET concentrations or no more than 15 percent. Whether you spray repellent on your skin or on your clothes, always follow the label's instructions. Avoid spraying repellent directly onto your face; spray it into your hands and apply it to your face while avoiding your eyes, nose and mouth. Re-apply DEET-based repellent after exposure to water or excessive sweating.
If you don't want to spray repellent on your clothes, you can purchase clothing that repels ticks at camping stores. The clothes are treated with a permethrin-based tick repellent. Even after 70 washes, commercial permerthrin-treated clothes ward off ticks. To make your own permerthrin-based clothing, purchase soaking kits. However, clothes treated at home with permerthrin only stay effective up until the sixth washing. Over the long run, commercial tick-repellent clothing is an economical solution.
Instead of investing in commercial tick repellents, make your own with peppermint essential oil. This repellent is also effective on fleas. Fill a spray bottle with 2 cups of water and add 20 drops of peppermint essential oil. Shake the bottle and spray the repellent on yourself and your pets. As an alternative, brew a pot of peppermint tea. Let it cool down and pour it into a spray bottle.
Using tick repellents in conjunction with bite prevention measures is the best way to keep yourself safe. Because ticks are prominent in the United States from April through September, avoid camping during these months. If you do go camping, cover your skin with clothes as much as you can and tuck pants into socks or boots. Wear light clothing so you can easily see the ticks on your clothes and remove them with sticky tape. Ticks cannot jump; they crawl from the grass onto your legs. Walk in the middle of paths and trails to avoid brushing against grass and weeds. Avoid sitting down in grassy areas.
