A new long-lasting, all-natural tick repellent spray developed at Nova Scotia’s Acadia University could change the way we defend ourselves against ticks and the danger they pose to our health.
Despite their small size, ticks pack a big punch. The stealthy critters are known for finding exposed ankles or a dog’s underside, latching on, and spreading harmful bacteria and illnesses such as Lyme disease.
According to Statistics Canada, 27,463 Canadians were infected with Lyme disease between 2009 and 2024 with increasing frequency. Last year alone, there were 5,239 cases of the disease recorded, while there were only 144 in 2009.
In Nova Scotia, where Nicoletta Faraone is heading the new Canadian Tick Research and Innovation Centre at Acadia University, the situation is particularly dire. The Maritime province represented a whopping 2,057 of the 4,785 tick-borne Lyme disease diagnoses in 2023, with 194.7 per 100,000 people being diagnosed.
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According to Faraone, this is a trend that we will likely see intensify as climate change makes more regions across Canada hospitable for ticks. “We will be more and more exposed to them than before, but we don’t need to be afraid of enjoying the outdoors, or our cottages, or hiking,” she says.
This is because Faraone and her research team at the Canadian Tick Research and Innovation Centre, or “The Tickery,” have engineered a repellent that is unlike others currently available to Canadians.
There are two main products used to protect against tick bites: sprays containing permethrin, which is an insecticide that is banned in Canada; and clothing with synthetic impregnated fabric, which are treated textiles that Faraone says helps prevent against ticks, but only for a certain number of washes.
In hopes of developing an eco-friendly, natural, and long-lasting alternative, Faraone teamed up with a Nova Scotian company called AtlanTick Repellent Products in 2017. AtlanTick sells a tick spray that employs lemon eucalyptus essential oil to ward off the insects. After years of testing and tweaking, they recently won the Mitacs Innovation Award for developing a formula that utilizes nanotechnology to extend the extract’s effectiveness.
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The spray is unique for its long-lasting abilities that make the repellent 100 per cent effective for more than one week. Using nanotechnology, Faraone and her team found a way to coat the oil particles in food-grade polymers that allow the tick repelling ingredient to release slowly and remain effective longer.
It’s unclear why the essential oil wards off ticks, which is why Faraone and her team are currently studying the repelling mechanism to learn more. In the meantime, their product is getting closer and closer to hitting store shelves, with Canada Health approval expected in summer 2026.
Faraone—a passionate advocate for tick prevention—says advances like her team’s nano-engineered repelling spray are vital to protecting against tick-borne illnesses and mitigating undue stress on public health systems.
“What is important is wearing the right repellent product, wearing the right clothing, and making sure that, when spending time outdoors, we always do our tick check,” she says.
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