Summertime
is here! And so are the bugs. When a mosquito, bee or ant bites you, the saliva
of either insect causes a histamine reaction that results in an itchy welt. I
have a nice backyard at my house in the country but plenty of bugs. So, when I
want to enjoy the great outdoors without being bitten I use these natural cures
for insect bites and to ease the itch. Best of all, they contain no nasty
chemicals. In fact, one of the ingredients is lavender (a multi-purpose herb!), and it features
prominently in the sequel to Death Drops:
A Natural Remedies Mystery which is called Scent to Kill and will be out next February. Lavender is my favorite
scent, along with roses. Anyway, here’s the recipe to ward off insects and
more!
Essential Oil
Remedy to Ward Off Insects
To ward away insects, try this herbal insect
repellent:
2 ounces (60
ml) almond oil
5 drops of
essential oil of eucalyptus
5 drops of
essential oil of lavender
5 drops of
essential oil of tea tree
5 drops of
essential oil of citronella
5 drops of
essential oil of rosemary
Mix together
and apply liberally, avoiding the eyes and mucus membranes.
Here are a few
ideas to keep bugs from finding you an easy target:
Taking 3 or 4
garlic capsules a day will make you an unappetizing host. 100 mg (50 mg for
kids) of vitamin B complex taken orally creates a smell that many bugs don’t
like.
Taking homeopathic
Staphysagria may also prevent you from being bitten.
Apply
essential oils like cedarwood, citronella, lavender and tea tree oil to pulse
points such as the wrists, behind the knees and behind the ears every hour or
so to ward off bugs. You can also put essential oils like lavender, citronella,
eucalyptus, geranium, rosemary and tea tree in a diffuser.
When you
head out, tuck in your hair and shirts and socks so bugs can’t get to your
skin.
Wear light
colors like white, tan and light green because they are less attractive to bugs.
Did you know that blue is the preferred color of mosquitos? Avoid floral prints
as well (you don’t want to look like a flower!). Hair spray, perfume and shiny
jewelry can also attract attention from the bug world.
3 comments:
Thank you for the bug-off info! Something about me is very attractive to mosquitoes, ticks and ants. My local health food store has an organic bug spray that is working, and she has these oils in stock so I can make my own now with your recipe. Love a few drops of lavender oil on my pillows at night.
I always know when my dogs have fleas, Chrystle, since they bite me just as much. I'm always diligent about the pups' flea repellants but this should help me, too. Thanks!
Glad to help! I thought it would be a good topic for this time of year!
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