the mosquitos are among us! around these parts, they're the size of hummingbirds. if you don't want to get attacked, you've got to douse yourself with bug spray. i've always cringed when using store bought bug spray. have you ever accidentally gotten that stuff in your mouth. did you wonder why it tastes like poison? cause it is poison! i
most insect repellants use DEET as their active ingredient. DEET is known to cause diffuse brain cell death and behavioral changes in rats...you don't have to know what that means to know that its sounds bad, read this. in humans, the use of DEET can penetrate the skin and be absorbed by the circulatory system and may cause severe toxic reaction and in some cases death, especially in infants and children.
now, if your spending lots of time outside and you live in humid area where mosquitos carry west nile, malaria, and dengue, by all means use DEET, lots of it cause the benefits far outweighs the risks. however, if you're just gonna be out and about, there are healthier options.
did you know bugs are attracted to you because they like the way you smell? DEET works by masking your odor and making you "invisible". but, DEET isn't the only thing that works. you can make a safe and non-toxic bug spray at home using common household ingredients.
making your own bug spray is super easy, super cheap, and super effective.
i had planned to show you before and after pics of my arm with and without "bug begone".
i walked outside my front door, and those blood suckers took off immediately. i didn't even have a chance to spray my arm. holding the bottle in my hand was enough to make them scram. seriously, its works!
i use apple cider vinegar and lavender essential oil. apple cider makes a powerful bug spray. it does have a slight vinegar smell, but it diffuses after a few minutes. if you can't stand the smell of vinegar, you can use witch hazel instead.
because it's natural, no poison here, you'll need to reapply every hour or so if you're out and active. but, hey, that's a good trade-off!
because it's natural, no poison here, you'll need to reapply every hour or so if you're out and active. but, hey, that's a good trade-off!
ingredients:
1/2 cup distilled water
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or witch hazel
40-50 drops of essential oil (lavender, rosemary, peppermint, lemongrass, tea tree, or citronella)
in an 8 oz spray bottle, add the distilled water, apple cider vinegar, and essential oil. shake bottle and it's ready to use.
you can cut the recipe in half and funnel into a 4 oz bottle...perfect for the car, purse or diaper bag!
think you might try it? what other personal/cleaning products would you like a recipe for?
think you might try it? what other personal/cleaning products would you like a recipe for?
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We use lemon balm as an insect repellent. Just rub the leaves on skin and it works great and for hours. The leaves have a high citronella content. We have containers w/ lemon balm everywhere and it grows like crazy.
ReplyDeletei'm totally going to try that! thanks for the tip.
DeleteMUST the water be distilled?
ReplyDeletehi Lisa, that's a good question! perfumer used distilled water, because the minerals and impurities that are in tap water can react with the essential oils to make them less potent and may even change the smell. i've seen bug spray recipes that also contain alcohol. perfumers also add alcohol to their recipes which aid in a quicker evaporation of water on the skin leaving behind the oils.
Deletebetween you and me, i've used tap water when i don't have distilled water laying around. it works just fine!
how strong/well does this work on cock roaches and water bugs
ReplyDeletehi ShaMael! not sure about water bugs, but i bet it'd work on roaches. the all-natural pest spray companies use a highly concentrated mix of essential oils. you might like this:
Deletehttp://eartheasy.com/live_natpest_control.htm
Another good thing to use on cockroaches is soapy water in a spray bottle. Kills them in about 30 seconds. And, to keep roaches away you'll want to use bay leaves. They are very cheap and you can get a big bag of them, step all over the bag to break them up and sprinkle them around. Catnip works as well!
Deletei hear a lot of good things about combating bugs with soapy water. i'm gonna try this! oh yes, bay leaves could do the trick. thanks for sharing the tips!
DeleteTODAY I READ THAT THE WAY TO GET TICKS OUT OF HUMAN OR ANIMALS AFTER THEY HAVE BURIED IN IS TO TAKE A COTTON BALL AND PUT SOME ANTI BACTERIAL SOAP ON THE COTTON BALL. THEN APPLY TO THE TICK AND MOVE IT AROUND AND PAT IT FOR AT LEAST 30 SECONDS TO A MINUTE AND THE TICK WILL BACK OUT AND BE ON THE COTTON BALL WITH ITS ENTIRE BODY IN TACT. WORKS FOR THE DEER TICK WITH THE WHITE SPOTS ON IT TOO. ALSO, I USE A ONCE A SUMMER BAG FROM LOWES OF TICK, FLEAS, BUGS, REMOVAL. YOU PUT IT DOWN ALL OVER THE YARD JUST BEFORE A BIG RAIN IS COMING AND THE RAIN MELTS INTO THE EARTH AND I HAVE BEEN USING IT 4 YEARS NOW AND IT WORKS. I DON'T LET MY PETS GO OUT AFTER PUTTING ON THE YARD UNTIL THE RAIN HAS SATURATED THE GROUND SO THEY WILL NOT GET IT ON THEM. THIS WORKS. THE BAG IS LIME GREEN AND YELLOW. CANT THINK OF THE NAME BUT IT IS NOT EXPENSIVE AND IT WORKS.
DeleteWhere can I find the essential oils?
ReplyDeletei buy my essential oils from Whole Foods, local health food store. you can get them online too. just be sure you get pure essential oils. let me know how you like it!
Deletewhat brand do you buy? thanks!
Deletethe brands i use are Wyndmere and Now...both from Whole Foods. however, i think any brand will do as long as they are pure essential oils.
DeleteI bought essential oils at Foodlion.
ReplyDeletemy biggest problem is ants.. little black ones that go after meat and sugar.. any suggestions please...?
ReplyDeletehi aminah! we've had tons of rain recently here in Houston, TX, so the ants have been getting into the house (sugar and fire). because i have a toddler, i wanted to take care of this problem quickly. i called Nature's Own Pest Control to handle it. they spray peppermint, spearmint, and rosemary essential oils around the perimeter of the home and in the cabinets. i read that i could do it myself by leaving a few drops around the trash can and in the pantry.
Deletehere are a couple links you might find helpful:
http://www.ehow.com/how_2088936_rid-ants-essential-oils.html
Good luck!
What about spiders. This looks like a great deterrent, but not sure about for getting them out of your home...
ReplyDeletehi kat! i hate spiders most essential oils deter spiders. you can spray the bug begone around your home, but because it's natural, it will wear off quickly. so, respray every few weeks or so.
Deleteread Dr. Carol's warning below! she says if you have cats, do not use essential oils...toxic!
Just read today that spiders and there was a photo of the bad ones hate peppermint. so you could put peppermint oil or maybe with children peppermint oil from the store that is edible and i even thought about putting peppermint candy in my linens and closets. that part may or may not be good but it definitely said spiders and the photo was a brown recluse. hope this helps.
Deleteread today that spiders hate peppermint. they even had a photo of a brown recluse by the article. i am going to try this. you can put essential peppermint oil on cotton balls and put them wherever you want. even in your clothes drawers, etc.
DeleteTea Tree Oil is toxic to both cats and dogs. http://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/tea-tree-oil/
ReplyDeletewould it work on bugs on vegetables?
ReplyDeletehi tanya! i have a friend that recommended this link for plants and gardens:
Deletehttp://www.suzannebovenizer.com/aromatherapy-essential-oils/aromatherapy-and-pest-control
no matter if you do this or buy your produce from the store, always rinse them well before eating!
when you get your produce and fruit home use 1/3 part of white or cider vinegar to 3 parts water and let sit for about five minutes. then rinse and refrigerate. the smell goes away in about 15 minutes and the berries and fruit keep up to 2 weeks and the bacteria is gone from the fresh vegs and fruit.
DeleteDoes not work.
ReplyDeletethat's too bad! because it's essential oils and they wear off more quickly than DEET and picaridin (which i don't like to use), you have to reapply more frequently. also, essential oils react with the natural oils on your skin. perhaps you can try eucalyptus or peppermint.
Deletei love it, and it works for my family. reapplying is key!
I have seen somewhere that if you are going golfing, hiking, just walking outside you can put a fabric softener in your pocket and mosquitoes will not bother you. gonna try it this year. they love me.
DeleteI would NOT use this on pets, citronella and tea tree are toxic to them.
ReplyDeletethanks for the warning! i appreciate it.
DeleteI heard on tv this week that you can rub orange peel on your pets and it will keep the fleas off of them. good luck on this.
Deletei'd like to get spray for getting rid of black widows
ReplyDeleteewww...black widows freak me out! if you think you have a problem with poisonous spiders, call an expert. essentials oils will keep most bugs at bay, you'll have to reapply often.
DeleteWhy do we need distilled water. Will filtered tap water work? Thanks.
ReplyDeleteto be honest, i use filtered tap water, because it's convenient. distilled water is recommended because a great deal of the impurities and minerals have been removed. impurities and minerals can mess with the smells and effectiveness of the essential oils. however, we're not making perfume and this recipe does have vinegar in it, so tap water is just fine! in fact, i think i edit it, so others won't have the same concern.
Deletethanks for the question!
Please do not use essential oils on cats EVER as cats are sensitive to essential oils and the oils, even diluted, can cause a toxic reaction. Do not use essential oils on dog where they can be licked off the coat. Some essential oils are toxic to pets so please be careful. Please do your homework on use of essential oils on dogs as there are some dogs who may be allergic or have a toxic reaction. Dr. Carol Stuart
ReplyDeletethanks Dr. Carol! i appreciate the warning. this isn't something i thought of, because we don't have any cats in the home and our dog only gets a light spritz when we hit the trails (which doesn't happen often).
Deletei'll add it to the posting so others will be aware of the toxicity to cats. i want all of our furry friends to be happy and healthy!
Rub your pets with orange peels to keep the fleas away.
DeleteWhy are there no capital letters used in your sentences?
ReplyDeletehehe...it helps me type faster and don't like autocorrect, and i like the way it looks...kind, informal, and just so. i also enjoy speaking colloquially and using improper grammar appropriately. i feel it gives an emotional and playful aesthetic to my writing. i like to write to my readers the way i would speak with them...casually, comfortably, and kindly
Deletemelissa,
Deleteit doesnt matter about the capital letters it is the content of your comments that matter. keep up the good work.
hey in our house we have lots of bugs and we keep on buying bug poison but i dont like going to the store that much do you have any that is safer
ReplyDeletewe have lots of bugs around our home as well. i called in the professionals, because i can't stand all the spiders and silverfish. we use Nature's Own Pest Service. they spray a mixture of mostly rosemary oil, spearmint, and citronella around the house. they also place borax under the deck and around the doorways and garage. i'm sure this is something i could have done, but i didn't want to mess with it.
Deleteif you have pets, be careful of using essential oils. check with your vet first.
I'm so bummed. I have a spider problem in my basement bedroom, killing several each hour, also pincher bugs but I am also a crazy cat lady having 4 of them that snooze on my bed. You'd think they'd help with the spiders ey? Anyway I'm not sure how to rid the spider problem because I don't want to use chemicals around them nor myself and now reading that essential oils are toxic to my furry children I'm at a loss as to how to get rid of these horrid things. I'm seriously losing sleep at night because that's when they come out. Can you suggest any other options I can try other then the shoe method? Thanks, and I love your blog!
ReplyDeleteJust made mine and it smells really good. I used the witch hazel and citronella oil. Thanks form sharing!
ReplyDeletei hope you like it! witch hazel and citronella is a great combo...the strongest!
DeleteI'm extremely impressed with your writing skills as well as with the layout on your weblog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself? Either way keep up the excellent quality writing, it's rare to see a nice
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