Pest Control Remedies for the Outdoors – Part 2
Last week, 
we discussed pest control remedies in the home. Today, we are talking about a more controversial topic, protecting your body from pests. This month is the beginning of outdoor summer activities. It’s also Lyme’s disease awareness month. When going outdoors, I would like to remind you of the simple barrier precautions:
- Wear light-colored protective clothing
- Tuck pant legs into socks
- Avoid tick-infested areas
- Check yourself, your children, and your pets daily for ticks and carefully remove any ticks
Bug bites can be both uncomfortable and dangerous. It’s important to keep the bugs away. However, commercial bug sprays are toxic for your body. Most store-bought bug sprays contain DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), which has received mixed reviews. Quoted from Scientific American, “Duke University pharmacologist Mohamed Abou-Donia, in studies on rats, found that frequent and prolonged DEET exposure led to diffuse brain cell death and behavioral changes, and concluded that humans should stay away from products containing it. But other studies have shown that while a few people have sensitivity to DEET applications, most are unaffected when they use DEET products on a sporadic basis according to the instructions on the label.”
As a parent, this creates a really tough conundrum. Do I use conventional products or experiment with natural products? Only you can make the decision that best meets your family’s needs. I have located a natural bug spray option that is also easy to make and inexpensive. As a side note, many of these ingredients were tested by Consumer Reports with mosquito repellant properties lasting approximately seven hours.
To make this bug spray, I recommend using witch hazel, apple cider vinegar, eucalyptus, lemongrass, citronella, tea tree or rosemary essential oil and one eight ounce glass spray bottle. In addition to keeping away bugs, this bug spray also helps kill bacteria and nourish your skin with the powerful benefits of witch hazel, apple cider vinegar and essential oils.
Simply combine 1/2 c. witch hazel, 1/2 c. apple cider vinegar and at least 20 drops essential oils of your choice in an eight ounce glass spray bottle. If you have glycerin on hand, 1/2 tsp added to this mixture will ensure that your mixture remains combined. You can then spray the mixture over your body, but avidly avoid the eyes and mouth.
As always, if you have questions, comments, or suggestions for new topics of interest, please leave them below.
Welcome Summer!!!
