Spring time in alls its glory. Everything is in bloom, the trees, the flowers and sadly yes the bugs. Mostly black flies. Those nasty little critters.
I am sure science has a purpose for them, however they are nothing but a large nuisance, and their bites can create horrible reactions in some folks. They cause pain, itching and swelling and soreness within a localized area. Allergic reactions can involve the entire body and may cause headache and fever. Certain times it may even lead to an infection. They buzz about your head, and you can not garden and eat outside. They will not disappear until mother nature makes it very hot so in the meantime you either stay inside or get bitten. It is like a pin when they bite you and intensely itchy after for at least three days. To some people in can cause an allergic reaction and the effects are insane. Red hot swelling , intense itching and an infection. There is however another alternative and that is bug spray.
Bug spray or better known as Deet. DEET (chemical name, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) is the active ingredient in many repellent products. Even though we have often been told there is not a health concern in using this product I still wonder. Perhaps if you live in the city and you are landlocked and not near much water the odd administration of Deet may not pose as a problem. However living rural and being surrounded by ocean, lakes, streams, ponds and yes even rain barrels, the amount of exposure to flying critters is huge. There fore the amount of Deet one would need to use on a constant basis in also huge. Personally I find that frightning.
There are alternatives and that is to make up your own spray that works quite well. It is safe, harmless in fact, smells nice and yes it works. It works in two ways. As a bug repellent and also as a bug oil. This is super easy to make and you really need only a few ingredients. The first being a spray bottle, available at most Health Food stores.
Next you will need some Aromatherapy Oils and a Carrier Oil available at Health Food Stores or available on line.
Your carrier oil can be one of the following. You will decide which one to use based on availability, cost and personal preference. The ones employed most frequently are Almond, Coconut, Flax Seed, Hazelnut, Hemp, Jojoba, Olive, Safflower, Sesame and Sunflower. You can also use Borage, Evening Primrose, Rose Hip Seed and Wheat Germ. The ones I use most often are Almond or Jojoba. They are readily available and cost effective. Jojoba is often a wise choice as it takes much longer for this oil to become rancid.
Next you will need some Essential OIls. There are many you can use, so here is a choice of a few. Basil, Bergamot, Cedarwood, Chamomile, Cypress, Eucalyputus, Fennel, Laurel, Lavender, Melissa, Niaouli,Patchouli, Peppermint, Pine, St. John's Wort, Sandalwood, Spruce. Tea tree, Thyme, Vetiver and Ylang Ylang.
Below you will find a recipe to use as a spray and also as a bite oil.
INSECT REPELLENT AND BITE OIL
2 ounces carrier oil
3 drops eucalyptus oil
3 drops spruce oil
2 drops niaouli oil
2 drops patchouli oil
2 drops pine oil
2 drops vetiver oil
In your clean sprayer bottle add the essential oils to the carrier oil and blend. Apply the oil to insect bites to help them heal. To repel insects, apply the oil to your skin before going outdoors. If you get a nasty bite while out there, clean it well, apply ice for swelling and then apply bite oil.
So go out and explore and enjoy.
Namaste
