A new scientific study suggests that some species of ticks—those Lyme Disease-spreading creepy crawlies—are scared off by pheromones produced by ants. Now, a team of researchers is working to synthetically replicate these ant excretions and sell them as tick repellent. Because unlike DEET or Citronella or other popular tick spray, the one derived from ant juice is virtually undetectable by the human nose.
— Read more in To Repel Ticks, Hikers Should Smell Like Ants at Outside.
Eww, but, if it’s effective, why not? People could truly enjoy the outdoors again w/o those smelly sprays.
Ewww is right, but gosh I hate ticks.
“Ant juice” will stick with me for awhile.
Seriously.
And how do they get this ant juice?
I thought ant secretions is how ants find one another and their way home — they drag their bum on the ground and leave a scent trail. The more times that a spot is transversed, the more secretions are left, and the stronger the smell. I thought that’s why you aren’t supposed to squish an ant — it will cause more to come to that spot. So this might repel ticks but is it going to attract more ants!? Have I been duped into misunderstanding ants my whole life!?
Or, they will make a product that keeps away ticks and has ants crawling all over you 😉