Study summary
Lavender, eucalyptus, and orange essential oils as repellents against Ixodes ricinus females
Kulma M, Bubová T, Kopecký O, Rettich F
- Study type
- Lab
- Year
- 2017
- Species tested
- Ixodes ricinus
- Published in
- Scientia Agriculturae Bohemica 48(2):76-81
- Evidence strength
- Limited evidence
How it was tested
Laboratory repellency bioassays of three essential oils against female castor-bean ticks.
Summary
Laboratory comparison of lavender, eucalyptus, and orange essential oils against 10% DEET for repelling the tick Ixodes ricinus over 80 minutes.
Key findings
All oils gave moderate-to-high initial repellency (65-85% at 5 minutes) but faded; at 80 minutes lavender still repelled 45% and eucalyptus 15%, while orange was ineffective after 20 minutes. DEET stayed high and stable (95-100%). Lavender was the most stable botanical but well below DEET.
Limitations
Tick (not mosquito) assay; short test window; rapid loss of effect due to volatility.