Nothing sends a shiver down the spine like finding a tick latched onto your skin after a hike. But beyond the nausea-inducing idea of being host to a blood-sucking parasite, the consequences of tick bites can be dire depending on the circumstances. This is because a few tick species carry diseases that can be passed on to humans — the most notable one is Lyme disease.
An unlucky encounter with a deer tick (Ixodes scapularis) could leave you with Lyme disease. Fortunately, a study published in PLOS One has advanced a new way to repel deer ticks with a surprising solution: donkey skin. More specifically, a naturally occurring compound secreted by donkey skin can stave off deer ticks, showing potential to be an effective alternative to existing repellents.
Not all ticks carry diseases, but deer ticks (also known as black-legged ticks) are one of the species to watch out for. ...
