eucalyptus branches and leaves. read or heard that somewhere - maybe my sister told me. she brought me some branches for the dog pen. around the outside of it. I'm planting eucalyptus here this year.

you might google it. maybe just the smell of it would fend them off?

Thanks for the information, Steph.
I always thought that eucalyptus trees were for moderate climates, could not take the cold weather. At least, they only grow them commerically down in Florida, where they are I think used by paper mills. But my experience was with a paper company a long time ago, and not growing them for a garden.

It used to be said that pecan leaves would run fleas away too, but not so I could tell. :) And then another home remedy was hooking up a bottle of Ivory liquid dish detergent with some fabric softener, to your water hose chemical sprayer, going over the whole lawn that way. And repeat after each rain.

I found that Advantix II now has a monthly treatment for dogs, like the monthly Revolution stuff. Just squeeze the contents along the dog's backbone and it is supposed to kill existing critters, and repel the next bunch. I was hoping they'd make something similar for us people who are scared of those ticks. Maybe an ornamental doggy collar? With a couple of nice diamonds?

Thanks for the reply, Steph. Meanwhile up here in the nawth, I am staying out of the bushes.

Be careful to look for the deer ticks on your own body, they're very hard to detect. Some are half the size of a poppy seed. In my area we have way too many, my husband has had Lyme disease four times. Keep safe.

I hear you, Yaya!

They are tiny.
And while I know my dog had lyme disease, I felt that I did too, because of my knees getting so bad so quickly. Yet they said the test was negative. However, most times the folks say the test is not even 50% true results, so how are you going to know. I've pulled the ticks off me...they love to get near the backbone for some reason....and it just creeps me out!!!

If you have any source of information you can link me to, I'd appreciate it very much. Too bad they don't have the same kind of anti tick stuff that Advantix II makes for dogs! If I thought it would help, I'd find a big dog collar and wear it. :)

Eeek! I hate ticks. Dh goes hunting in a place with a lot of ticks, and I even hate having to check him when he gets home, and to even be around him for days after he gets home.

Now, ML, you ARE joking about the tick collars, aren't you? they are not good for the dogs or the cats - cause neurological damage all the time. Just go to Pets and do a search on flea collars or even Hartz.

If you were wearing several layers of clothing - socks, jeans, and boots with the jeans tucked in - I just might approve of you wearing a tick collar around your ankles. Only if you don't touch it with bare skin and take it off as soon as you get home.

But seriously, Google flea collars, and weep.

Nancy, I just came this way and found your post. Thank you. I will do that.

I have been desperate to keep the furry creatures away from the ticks, the ones around here are the bad kind for Lyme disease. And my little boy was paralyzed with it. It scares me so bad, I just let myself get sucked into the collars. But now, I don't use them. I will Google the Advantix II treatment instead, much like Revolution or Frontline.

Thanks.