SCARBOROUGH, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- There are many home remedies passing through social media showcasing natural ways to repel ticks, including a vinegar and water mixture.

We wanted to Verify whether it actually works, so we went to the Maine Medical Center Research Institute to speak with Chuck Lubelczyk, a Vector Anthropologist.

"At this point we don't have any data to say that a lot of folk remedies - such as a vinegar recipe - are going to work to repel ticks," he says.

The recipe for this natural repellant calls for one part water with two parts distilled white vinegar.

We covered Lubelczyk's wrist in the mixture, and when a tick was placed on his arm... "The tick seems to be making a beeline for the vinegar."

While our Vector Anthropologist isn't ready to publish his findings based on one study, he says it's safe to say the vinegar theory is not as effective as proven repellents.

That said, the vinegar mixture does mention you can add eucalyptus oil to help with the vinegar smell. Eucalyptus has been known to repel ticks and is used in a mixture with lemon. If you do use that, Lubelczyk recommends buying it, instead of mixing it on your own, because that can lead to ineffectiveness.