★★★★★
Have any of you tried cedar oil for ticks? Last year, after tick collars and Frontline Plus stopped working, and I became concerned about the toxic effects of them anyway, I bought a cedar oil spray. I put it on them once a day when we we go hiking in the hills around our house, which are filled with ticks during the winter rainy season (backwards from the mid-west where I used to live). I spray them directly if it is not too windy and also spray it in my palm (I usually wear a surgical glove when I do this so my hands don't smell cedary) to rub around the face and tummy area. As long as I do this, they pick up very few ticks, and usually only on areas I forgot to cover well. Before, the lighter colored of my two dogs, who is a tick magnet, could come home with 30 or more ticks walking on him, even with the Frontline, and I routinely spent 40 minutes brushing him to get them out. You can also spread some of the oil on any imbedded ticks, and it will usually kill them in a few minutes, though they still have to be pulled out, but they come easier.
My dogs also seem not to get fleas on them since I have been using this oil. I assume it works similar to the other oils mentioned here and I might try these as well, plus the diatemaceus earth in my yard. Thanks for all the good advice by everyone here.
