Frequently Asked Questions

Nantucket Spider Original Natural Repellent (Orange Label): This is our best seller. It has a unique blend of essential oils of cedar wood, citronella, clove, geranium, lemongrass, peppermint, rosemary, and spearmint. While our 8 ounce bottles have our signature trigger sprayer, our 4 and 2 ounce sizes (with pump sprayers) are convenient for travel and to carry in a handbag or a backpack. Comes in four sizes (2 oz, 4 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz).

Nantucket Spider Summer Camp Repellent (Blue Label): It is much like the original formula, and is equally effective, but is citronella-free. We made it for kids (and others) who may have an aversion to citronella. Comes in three sizes (2 oz, 4 oz, 8 oz).

Nantucket Spider Extra Strength Tick Repellent (Green Label): If you specifically want to repel ticks, this is a perfect repellent. It can be used alone or in addition to other repellents. While no repellent repels all ticks, in independent lab tests, ours repelled 92% of deer ticks. Comes in four sizes (2 oz, 4 oz, 8 oz, 16 oz).

Nantucket Spider Bug Repellent for Dogs (Red Label): This repellent is specially formulated without ‘citrusy’ oils that dogs dislike and clove oil, which they shouldn’t ingest. Instead, it contains thyme oil to repel fleas and other oils such as geranium, rosemary, cedar, peppermint and spearmint - all effective repellents. And while it is formulated for dogs, it is often used on their owners as well! Comes in two sizes (8 oz, 16 oz).

Things to keep in mind when applying Tick Repellent:

- All tick larva, most nymphs, and many adult ticks are found within 6 inches of the ground. The remainder of adult ticks are found in waist-height bushes - it is quite unusual for adults to be in trees or fall from above.

- Since ticks usually climb onto people from the ground and move upward, your goal when applying repellent is to create a protective barrier low on your body. This helps stop ticks from attaching or crawling up where they’re harder to see.

How to apply: Spray Extra Strength Tick Repellent thoroughly from your knees down, covering all sides of your legs, socks, and shoes. If you’ll be walking through tall grass or brush, apply from the waist down and also on your arms if you’ll be handling weeds or plants

While the Dog Repellent is formulated specifically for dogs, it can be used on people as well.

Our products are bottled with a drop of Nitrogen so that they are fresh when opened or first used. Once exposed to oxygen after first use, the essential oils will begin to decrease in efficacy.

While our spray products do not expire, they will become less effective over time which is why we recommend that they be used within 12 months of opening.

Our incense sticks do not have an expiration date. However, they will stop working over time if they are stored in a humid environment. For this reason, we recommend keeping your incense sticks in a cool, dry place when not in use.

Our Extra Strength Tick Repellent is long lasting and you will smell it on socks and shoes many hours after it is applied, however to be on the safe side, reapply every 1.5 hours. For ticks, Our Natural Repellent for Dogs should be reapplied every 1.5 hours and after swimming or walking in wet conditions.

Our other spray products should all be applied “as needed” for flies and mosquitos. Humidity and infestation levels will affect how often they need to be applied – the higher the humidity and the higher the infestation level, the more frequently the products should be spritzed on. Fortunately, unlike other chemical repellents, Nantucket Spider’s repellents do not bioaccumulate and can be used as needed.

Our Extra Strength Tick formula is really for people. While it is highly effective at deterring ticks, it contains some essential oils that are not recommended for dogs.

Please contact us at customerservice@nantucketspider.com and we will send you a replacement

We don't recommend using any of our repellents on cats.

Essential oils and many other ingredients that are gentle on people, can be toxic to cats, and have the potential to damage their livers. Their grooming habits also lead to the possibility that they will ingest essential oils directly.

If your cat is getting bothered by bugs, one thing you can do is to make a “tea” of fresh herbs such as thyme, catmint or catnip and keep it in your fridge to use topically on your cat as a repellent.

If you are looking for a fly, tick or mosquito repellent for your horses, all of our products are safe and effective. We recommend our Original Natural Repellent (the one with the orange label), which has received a lot of positive feedback for use on horses.

Our Summer Camp Repellent (Blue Label) is very similar to our Original Natural Repellent (Orange Label), but is citronella-free. We made it for kids (and others) who may have an aversion to citronella. 

All our repellents are "minimum risk pesticides" with no age restrictions, however, we do not recommend that they be sprayed directly on the skin of infants and very young children.

Children tend to have such delicate skin and may also have sensitivities or aversions to particular oils. Our tick formula does include cinnamon oil which is known as a "hot oil," and may be irritating to sensitive skin. A good general rule is to put nothing directly on children's skin until they are old enough to tell you if it bothers them.

The good news about our repellents is that, because they are water-based and not greasy, they can be sprayed on hats, shoes, socks, clothing and strollers instead of on skin. If you do decide to use any of our repellents on skin, it is important to "test patch," a small area before applying generally.

Our Summer Camp Repellent (Blue Label) and Original Natural Repellent (Orange Label) are most effective at repelling mosquitos and biting flies. They contain oils known to repel ticks, but these are at a lower strength and are less long-lasting than our Extra Strength Tick Repellent (Green Label).

Our Extra Strength Tick Repellent is a precision instrument. It has more of the ingredients that repel ticks, but has not been tested against other insects. Our Tick Repellent is best for waist down/socks/shoes application, and the Summer Camp and Original repellents are great to mist over full bodies, hair, gear, clothing, etc.

Yes, the essential oils we use are organic and non-GMO. They are not certified Organic for regulatory reasons.

All of our products have independent safety data sheets confirming that they are considered safe for general use, provided that users perform a simple skin patch test to check for allergies. Because each spray releases only a trace amount of essential oils, reactions are very uncommon.

That said, pregnant individuals should always be cautious about any product they use, as the effects of essential oils during pregnancy have not been thoroughly studied. Some natural health experts recommend avoiding certain oils, such as rosemary and citronella, while pregnant. Rosemary oil is included in both our People and Summer Camp repellents. Although citronella is widely used and generally regarded as safe in the U.S., some individuals experience sensitivities or prefer to avoid it. For this reason, we’ve chosen to leave citronella out of our Kids’ repellent, giving families an option that suits their preferences.

If you have any concerns about using our products, we recommend consulting your primary health care provider or family doctor.

While we have not specifically tested our products against chiggers or sand gnats/no see ums, we have heard from our customers who have found both the people and camp products to work.

This is not the product to use if your goal is to get rid of spiders. Nantucket Spider is not a spider repellent: it is a repellent that you wear to keep away mosquitoes, biting flies and ticks. (We call it "Nantucket Spider" because spiders are so good at repelling other insects!)

If you have a child with numerous or severe allergy sensitivities, it is important that you consult with your child’s health care provider before exposing your child to our products.

Yes, all Nantucket Spider products are gluten, nut, and soy free.

While our products contain ingredients that help to repel fleas and bed bugs, they do not kill them.

We have heard in the past from a couple of customers who left their Nantucket Spider in their hot cars and found that the bottle boiled over. It is important to remember not to leave your bug spray in your car (many things including sunscreen, lotions and bug sprays will expand and leak in a hot car - not to mention how extreme heat may change the quality of the ingredients - in a heat wave the interior temperature of your car can climb above 150 degrees in half an hour!)

While our sprays shouldn't stain clothing when used as directed, a bottle of repellent spilled on your dashboard might.

The good news is, because essential oils are volatile, the smell of the bug spray will dissipate before long. Mop up any excess spill and wash down area. Leave windows open to air out your car. Keep windows open while driving too until the oils evaporate - as terrific as our bug sprays smell, no one wants to be steeped in them (especially your kids and pets)! A bowl of coffee grounds will help absorb odors. People, Camp and Dog should be faint the next day and be gone entirely in a couple of days. The tick spray is longer lasting and slower to evaporate but should be gone in a few days too.

The tops of the incense sticks can be snuffed out by pressing the tip off with any hard, non-flammable surface (such as a spoon). Remember to keep a dish the incense under to catch any ash if the incense is placed in an area that you might not want to get dirty or if the area is flammable.

The incense can also be extinguished with a small amount of water - be careful not to use too much as it can make the incense difficult to relight later on. We don't recommend this method if you are planning on re-lighting the incense the same day.

Our sticks can sometimes be more difficult to light in more humid or damp weather, so they can require a bit more effort to get going. The best way we have found to light them in trickier weather is to hold them upside down over a flame until the incense catches. Then, hold the incense upright and let the flame burn for about 10 seconds before blowing it out. Letting it stay lit a bit longer should prevent them from going out prematurely and should create lots of smoke to repel mosquitoes.

If you are still having issues lighting your incense, feel free to reach out to customerservice@nantucketspider.com for more assistance

Our Spray Repellents are manufactured in CT, USA.
Our Incense Sticks are manufactured in India and packed in CT, USA. 
Our Incense Holders are manufactured in China
Our Mosquito Stickers are manufactured in China

Yes! Our strips are designed to work in both high efficiency and conventional washing machines. For best results put the strip directly into the drum before adding your clothes – if you throw it on top of clothes in a front loading machine, it may fall out and stick onto the door when the cycle begins.

For more directions on how to use, click below to visit our How To page.

Our strips are designed to be low foaming so that they work in High Efficiency washers as well as regular ones. You can tell that they have worked because your clothes will be clean and fresh when you are finished washing them!

The cleaning strips can be used with your own spray bottle or with ours (sold separately) roll one strip for every 8 ounces of water and insert it into the neck of the bottle. To prevent the contents from foaming out, fill the bottle with water before inserting strips. Shake gently until the strips are dissolved.

For directions on how to use, visit How to Use Nantucket Footprint 

The cleaning strips are meant to be kept at normal temperature and humidity conditions. If it is particularly cold or dry, they may temporarily dry out and become brittle and crumbly. This is normal and will not affect their performance – they will return to pliable when humidity rises. If strips are brittle they can be used this way but if you wish to restore them to pliability to make them easier to roll or insert just hold them for 3-4 seconds over steam from a kettle.

TIP – if you store your strips during winter months in a bathroom with a shower, they are less likely to dry out.

Our Glass & Window Cleaner has lower pH and is best for removing buildup or hard water on glass and metal surfaces, but should not generally be used on stone, wood or painted surfaces

Our All-Purpose Cleaner has higher pH and is a great grease cutter. This is best for any greasy surface plus stone, marble, ceramic fixtures, wood, and painted surfaces.

We do not recommend using any of our cleaners on computer or television screens. We also recommend test-patching the cleaner if you are concerned about damaging the finish on a surface.

All our cleaning products and laundry detergents are made in China.

As a certified B Corporation, we carefully choose partners who share our commitment to ethical practices and environmental responsibility. The contractors we need to make these strips currently exist only in China, but our close relationships with trusted, small manufacturers ensure safe ingredients and fair labor. Because the raw materials and strip-making technology are already based in China, producing them there avoids the need to ship heavy barrels of ingredients overseas, resulting in a much smaller overall carbon footprint. We’re excited to keep exploring ways to bring production closer to home as sustainable options expand.

We have heard a lot of this from USPS lately -- people get notified of delivery, and then the package is delivered the next day or the day after.

If your package isn’t delivered to you in the next few days, please reach out to customerservice@nantucketspider.com and we would be happy to help.

Nantucket Spider ships orders within 1-2 business days and you should receive them within 2 to 5 business days of placing your order (5-21 days international). 

For more information, visit our shipping and returns page here:

For Free or General/Ground Shipping, please allow for 15 days for your order to be delivered. if you have not received your order in that time, or if your the status is showing up as "return to sender" or "undeliverable" under your tracking information, please reach out to customerservice@nantucketspider.com and we would be happy to assist

Yes - all domestic orders above $25 qualify for free shipping

Yes! If you reach out to customerservice@nantucketspider.com with your zip code and which products you are interested in, we would be happy to let you know which stores in your area stock our products.

f you are planning on going out of your way to a store, please remember to call ahead to the store to check availability as we cannot guarantee stock for any particular store.

Original Repellent for People: (Active) Rosemary Oil, Geranium Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Peppermint Oil, Spearmint Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Clove Oil, Citronella Oil, Distilled Water (Inert), Vegetable Glycerin (Inert)

Summer Camp Repellent for Kids: (Active) Rosemary Oil, Geranium Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Peppermint Oil, Spearmint Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Clove Oil, Distilled Water (Inert), Vegetable Glycerin (Inert)

Extra Strength Tick Repellent: (Active) Clove Oil, Geranium Oil, Peppermint Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Spearmint Oil, Rosemary Oil, Cinnamon Oil, Distilled Water (Inert), Vegetable Glycerin (Inert), Natural Vanillin (Inert)

Natural Bug Repellent for Dogs: (Active) Rosemary Oil, Thyme Oil, Peppermint Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Geranium Oil, Distilled Water (Inert), Vegetable Glycerin (Inert)

Sun & Sand Sticks: Citronella Oil, Clove Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Peppermint Oil, Rosemary Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Sawdust (base), Bamboo (stick)

Meadow Sticks: Geranium Oil, Rosemary Oil, Peppermint Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Dried Lavender Flowers, Dried Orange Peel, Sawdust (base), Bamboo (stick)

Woodland Sticks: Cedarwood Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Rosemary Oil, Dried Orange Peel, Sawdust (base), Bamboo (stick)

Spiced Coffee Sticks: Cinnamon Oil, Clove Oil, Peppermint Oil, Rosemary Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Coffee Grounds, Dried Orange Peel, Sawdust (base), Bamboo (stick)

Cedarwood Oil, Citronella Oil, Clove Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Rosemary Oil, Spearmint Oil, Polyester Sticker Base

All-Purpose Cleaning Strips: Polyvinyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Aqua, Glycereth Cocoate, Coconut Betaine, Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Gluconate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Citrate, Decyl Glucoside, Grapefruit Essential Oil, Bergamot Essential Oil

Glass & Window Cleaning Strips: Polyvinyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Aqua, Glycereth Cocoate, Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Citrate, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Peppermint Essential Oil, Rosemary Essential Oil

Toilet Bowl Cleaning Strips: Polyvinyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Aqua, Glycereth Cocoate, Capryl Glucoside, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Carboxymethyl Inulin, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Blue Gardenia Natural Color, Peppermint Essential Oil, Rosemary Essential Oil

Chamomile Laundry Detergent Strips: Polyvinyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Aqua, Decyl Glucoside, Glycereth Cocoate, Coconut Betaine, Sodium Gluconate, Protease Enzymes, Sodium Sulfate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid, Chamomile Essential Oil

Unscented Laundry Detergent Strips: Polyvinyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Aqua, Decyl Glucoside, Glycereth Cocoate, Coconut Betaine, Sodium Gluconate, Protease Enzymes, Sodium Sulfate, Potassium Sorbate, Citric Acid

For full ingredient information, see the link below.