This the season for mosquitos, annoying gnats and ticks.  Arggggh!

Because DEET can’t be used on skin safely, We have been using a blend of essential oils that we find very effective–as long as we re-apply about every two hours in heavy bug season.

For the Mosquitos and ticks I mix the following ingredients in a little metal spray bottle (found at health food stores):

Ingredients:

25 Drops Lemon Eucalyptus Essential Oil
4 Ounces of Rubbing Alcohol or Witch Hazel
1 Tsp. Real Vanilla Extract
2 Ounces of Coconut Oil (optional)

and about 10 drops of geranium oil
Method:

Mix all ingredients together and store in a small, leak-proof spray bottle.
Shake well before use
Spray all over clothes and exposed skin (oil can stain)
Be careful not to get in eyes
Reapply every 2-4 hours, as needed.
We find this to be highly affective on us and the dogs.

The little annoying gnatty things that always seem to want to fly into our eyes are easily deterred with a cedar oil (you can buy it commercially for pets or make your own).  The  brand we like Is Cedarcide but really any we have used on the dogs for fleas or on ourselves for gnats has worked well.   We dab a little on our faces and brows and they shy away from us like magic.  Let me just tell you how happy I was to discover this  little gnat banishing miracle!

I do like to make sure I use a good quality and fresh oil each season because they don’t last indefinitely.

A friend who sells DoTERRA told me they have a new insect repellant blend and I am going to try it.  It’s an unusual combination of oils so it will be fun to see if it works better than what I do above.  I’ll let you know.

Not all blends work well on all people.  We all have different chemistry so keep looking for a solution if mine isn’t working for you.  Don’t let the bugs keep you from enjoying the outdoors.

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