Will Lysol kill ticks? Let’s dig into the facts.
Ticks are pesky blood-sucking insects that can cause tremendous discomfort through their feeding habits. Getting rid of them can be done with a variety of home remedies among which is the use of Lysol.
This cleaning and the disinfecting product has been found useful beyond cleaning and killing viruses and bacteria.
Can Lysol Kill Ticks?
Lysol will kill several pests, however, can the same be said of ticks?
There is no definite proof of its effect on exterminating ticks. This is because most of the information available isn’t from authoritative sources. Plus, brand Lysol only makes cleaning and disinfecting products.
This means their products aren’t designed for pest control.
Ticks and Pets
There’s a close connection between ticks and pets. There’s hardly a tick infestation without a pet around. Pets are the primary hosts for ticks. This is although humans too sometimes are faced with tick problems.
Even if Lysol can be used to exterminate ticks, there’s still a problem. This product isn’t safe around pets as it can lead to poisoning in addition to causing severe harm such as liver damage. Lysol is a phenol-based cleaning product.
As one of the constituent ingredients, it gives off potentially harmful volatile organic compounds.
In addition to the above adverse effects, Lysol will also cause severe chemical burns to the tongue and upper esophagus when ingested by pets.
Avoid Using Lysol for Tick Extermination
With no solid proof of Lysol killing ticks, there’s no point using it. Also, you’ll be exposing your pets to its harmful and toxic properties when ingested. Plus, the Lysol brand isn’t a pest control brand.
Rather, they’re one of the biggest cleaning and disinfecting product brands in the world.
You’ll hardly find information if any at all where Lysol promotes its products to be effective against anything outside the confines of what they’re made for.
What Alternatives Are There?
Several! There are lots of effective tick extermination remedies that will give visible results within a short time. This section of the article will be discussing them in addition to providing preventive strategies anyone can adopt.
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Homemade Tick and Insect Repellent
The homemade tick and insect repellent are made of common ingredients that include jojoba oil, citronella essential oil, tea tree oil, as well as peppermint oil.
READ: Tick Insecticide Sprays That Are Pet-Friendly
These are mixed in the following ratio and applied on the body; a tablespoon of jojoba oil, and 9 drops of citronella.
Others include 6 drops of tea tree essential oil and also 6 drops of peppermint essential oil. This does the trick and keeps ticks at bay.
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Apple Cider Vinegar
Vinegar is a known killer of ticks and poses no health risks to humans.
A mixture containing 4 tablespoons of apple vinegar to 2 cups water and 2 cups organic neem oil is made. This is then applied to affected areas with marked relief resulting.
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Neem Oil
This is another natural remedy that can be used against ticks with visible results. Its application is easy as you only need to pour out a few drops onto your hands, and then rub them on exposed skin.
However, for use on pets, you should consider diluting with appropriate and light carrier oils of your choice such as almond.
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Consume Garlic
One of the many health benefits of garlic is that it also serves as a tick repellent. When you consume or eat garlic, your body gives off a scent a lot of insect pests hate to perceive. As a result, ticks find your body unsuitable to feed on.
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Cedar Oil Spray
Cedar oil spray is safe to use on your tick-infested pets. Once applied to affected areas, it kills off and drives all sorts of pests. What more? It isn’t hard to find as you can easily purchase it at local stores.
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Eucalyptus Oil
To use Eucalyptus oil for tick control, 20 drops of it will need to be mixed with about 4 ounces of purified or distilled water. This mixture is then emptied into a spray bottled and thoroughly mixed by shaking before being sprayed onto skin or clothing.
This diluted solution can also be used on dogs without adverse side effects.
Preventing Tick Infestation
You don’t have to be faced with a pest problem before taking precautionary or preventive measures. By being proactive, you’re actively nipping the problem in the bud. There are several ways tick infestation can be prevented from happening.
Some of these include the following;
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Keep Weeds and Brush Away From Your Home
Ticks don’t do well in sunny and dry environments.
The aim here is to make your surroundings very unsuitable for ticks to hang around. By removing every incentive that is likely to attract ticks such as trimming your brushes and weed short, you’ll have little problems with ticks.
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Check Your Pets Regularly
It is necessary to frequently check your pets for signs of ticks.
When you spot one, immediately call a veterinarian. This health expert provides medication and treatment for bites caused by ticks. More important is the need to prevent your pets from roaming about.
A roaming pet is more likely than not to pick up ticks and spread them to humans and other pets. Therefore, you’ll need to exercise greater control over how your pet(s) move around. Putting them on a leash will help a lot.
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Be More Careful How You Move About Areas With More Tick Activity
Certain locations have more tick problems than others. If you live in one with lots of tick issues, you might want to make immediate modifications to the way you go about your daily business. One such is by tucking your pants into your socks and also wearing long-sleeved shirts especially when hiking.
We’ve seen that there’s no proof of the efficacy of Lysol in killing ticks.
Also, we don’t recommend the use of this cleaning and disinfecting agent for tick control. We’ve offered alternatives that are reliable and will also get the job done at the lowest cost possible.