The Natural Tick Repellent Every New Yorker Should Know About This Summer

If you live in Upstate New York, you already know that loving our gorgeous springs and summers comes with a hidden tax. We trade the brutal winters for the constant, nagging anxiety of checking our kids, our dogs, and ourselves for ticks after every single walk, backyard barbecue, or afternoon clearing brush.

For me, that anxiety isn't just theoretical. There is one specific date burned into my memory: March 8, 2007.

It was the day I found myself hooked up to an IV drip, listening to a doctor confirm exactly what I had been dreading: early localized Lyme disease. It was a frightening, incredibly humbling moment, and it completely changed how I look at the beautiful woods right outside my window.

That diagnosis sparked a full-blown obsession with tick prevention. When my family moved into a densely wooded Upstate neighborhood, the stakes felt even higher. We had deer passing through the yard almost daily. And as beautiful as they are to watch, they are basically public transit for ticks.

Living through it taught me a hard lesson that surprises a lot of New York homeowners: ticks do not die off in the winter. Sure, they slow down when the snow flies, but the second the temperature creeps anywhere above freezing, they are awake, active, and looking for their next meal. It’s a year-round threat in our neck of the woods.

The Natural Shield Ticks Absolutely Hate

If you aren't thrilled about dousing yourself, your kids, or your pets in harsh chemical sprays every single time you step into the backyard, you are definitely not alone.

The good news? There’s a natural, incredibly budget-friendly option that many people swear actually works, and you might already have it in your kitchen.

Ticks cannot stand the smell of rosemary. While there are a few herbs that carry natural pest-repellent properties, rosemary is the ultimate MVP for Upstate homeowners. It’s incredibly hardy, it thrives in our summer climate, and you can pick up the essential oil at just about any local grocery store or pharmacy.

If you want to create a natural barrier around your home this season, here are the easiest ways to put rosemary to work:

Plant a Backyard Barrier: Line your patio, deck perimeter, or garden borders with live rosemary plants. The natural aromatic oils create a scent barrier that ticks prefer to steer clear of.

The DIY Rosemary Spray: Mix a few drops of pure rosemary essential oil with water in a spray bottle. Mist it around your porch furniture, your outdoor rugs, and even the cuffs of your pants before you head out to do yard work.

Protect Your Pets Safely: A diluted drop of rosemary oil on the outside of your dog's collar (never directly on their skin) can help keep hitchhikers off them during your weekend hikes in our state parks.

If you can't stand the smell of rosemary, you can substitute lavender. Just know that growing lavender is much harder to do than growing rosemary.