Donkey skin secretion that repels deer ticks shows promise as natural alternative to DEET

University of Massachusetts Amherst researchers have made a promising discovery that could lead to the development of a natural and effective tick repellent. They have shown that a naturally occurring compound secreted by the skin of donkeys effectively repels adult Ixodes scapularis ticks—the most frequent human-biting tick in the U.S. Commonly known as the deer tick, this species of arthropods is responsible for spreading Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and babesiosis—bacterial infections that can sometimes cause serious and long-lasting illness.