Decades of studies have failed to demonstrate that oral thiamine repels ticks or other biting arthropods.
T
Steps
schema.org/HowTo
01
DO NOT take vitamin B1 supplements expecting to become unattractive to ticks or mosquitoes.
02
This claim has been studied repeatedly since the 1940s; the evidence does not support it. Excess B1 is excreted in urine, not concentrated in skin oils.
03
Relying on it leaves you unprotected when you walk into tick habitat.
04
Instead, use an EPA-registered repellent like DEET (20-30%), picaridin (20%), IR3535, or oil of lemon eucalyptus on exposed skin.
05
Treat clothing and gear with 0.5% permethrin, and check yourself after every outdoor exposure.