DIY Natural Bug Repellents for Your Body

You stink!  That's what you want a bug to think of you.  It's a strange concept to think about, but bugs are either attracted or unattracted by scent.  As mentioned in the August 4(for) Green Acres challenge, mosquitoes carry the highest amount of the west nile virus in August and September.  It's important to arm our bodies so we can continue to enjoy the outdoors, and it's as easy as applying the right scent.

Lavender and mint are two herbs that mosquitoes are especially repelled by.  You will find in the recipes below that one or both of these herbs are found in the ingredient list.  While I'm mostly dealing with mosquitoes because of the serious health risk, you can also combat other pests at the same time. Here is a list of herbs and what insects they help repel.  Essential oils can be found for all of them.

As you begin to mix and use your sprays or gel keep these important tips in mind.

1.  Use the purest ingredients you can find.  Ingredients that you don't grow yourself or you don't have on hand purchase in a health food store or at a farmers market.  Read the list of ingredients to make sure they don't have a lot of additives.  We are fighting nature with nature so stick as close to it as you can.

2.  Remember to be diligent with reapplying.  Our homemade versions are not waterproof or sweat proof.  Nor do they have agents that will stay on your skin for quite some time.  By adding a conditioning agent like an oil they will be able to stay on your skin longer.

3.  Essential oils are very potent and should never be applied directly to your skin.  They could burn.  They must be diluted with water or witch hazel prior to application.

4.  These repellents do not have a long shelf life.  Over time the scent starts to diminish and scent is the key ingredient in making these work.  If you find you're losing scent you can add a few drops of essential oil to the bottle or gel and shake or mix well.

Ingredients

• Essential oils: rosemary, tea tree, eucalyptus, cedar, lavender, catnip, citronella, mint, etc.
• Witch Hazel, rubbing alcohol, or vodka (whatever you have on hand)
• Water that has been boiled or distilled water
• Olive Oil (optional)*  

Supplies
small spray bottle

Instructions

1. Fill the spray bottle half way with water.
2. Add the witch hazel to fill almost to the top.
3. If using olive oil add 1/2 tsp.
4. Add 30-50 drops of essential oils to desired scent.  The more you use the stronger the scent will be.  Mix and match the oils for a customized scent.
5. Store in the refrigerator to keep it fresh longer.
6. Spray on exposed skin and clothing* 

*Be sure to test the spray on a discrete place on your clothing to ensure it does not stain or damage.

Ingredients

• Fresh or Dried herbs: mint, citronella, lavender, catnip, eucalyptus, etc.
• Witch Hazel, rubbing alcohol, or vodka
• Water for boiling

Supplies
small spray bottle

Instructions

1. Boil 1 cup of water and add 3-4 TBSP of any combination of dried herbs.  If using fresh herbs add more.  Fresh is less potent than dried.  If you feel your mix is too strong you can always dilute it later.  
2. Take off the heat, mix well, and cover to cool.  Be sure to keep the lid on so the oils (scent) don't evaporate.
3. When cooled, strain the herbs out and mix 1 cup of witch hazel, rubbing alcohol or vodka and funnel the mixture into a spray bottle.
4. Store in the refrigerator to keep it fresh longer.
5. Spray on exposed skin and clothing*  

*Be sure to test the spray on a discrete place on your clothing to ensure it does not stain or damage.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of clear aloe vera gel (not dyed green)
• 2 tsp tea tree oil
• 2 tsp citronella oil
• 1/2 tsp rosemary oil
• 1/2 tsp local honey (optional) - honey has antibacterial components and also adds moisture to the gel.  It will not make the gel sticky. 

Note: The oils above can be exchanged for other oils depending on what insects you are trying to repel.  I would trade out peppermint or lavender for tea tree oil to work better on mosquitoes.  

Supplies
Small jelly jar or baby food jar

Instructions

1. Pour the aloe vera into a bowl. 
2. Add the essential oils and honey if you are using it and mix well.  The gel may look slightly creamy.
3. Spoon into a jar and cover with a lid. 
4. Store in the refrigerator to keep it fresh longer.
5. Slather on exposed skin.

• Rub vanilla extract (not imitation) on your skin with a cotton ball on the hot parts of your body: behind your ears, underarms, the crease of your elbow, behind your knees, etc.  You can also add vanilla to any of the receipts above.
• Rub the leaves and flowers from fresh herbs all over the skin, especially anything in the mint family.

Windy City

There is a new windmill emerging on the horizon.  It's not the run of the mill variety I'm used to seeing in the hills of Nebraska, but rather a money making variety that is convincing farmers and ranchers to turn over acres and acres of land for the production of electricity.  

I've heard about these monstrosities.  I see the turbines flying down the interstate on semi trucks one by one.  I hear the woes of those in west Texas alone that can't stand the sight of them looming in the distance.  Visual pollution.  So are they really giving us more energy efficiency and if so, at what price?  

This post is not going to answer those questions.  I know that's what you were expecting, but it's one of those mysteries that I haven't quite figured out yet.  Wind farms are a new phenom to me.  Until I figure it out, I'm going to marvel at their size.  From a distance their size is relative to the landscape. Up close, however their presence overwhelms you.   

To give you an idea, I happened to spot this windmill, the water pump windmill, next to a wind turbine. We pulled off the road to take a closer look.  I was stunned.  It completely dwarfs the small windmill.

Just to prove the small windmill is there I took a closer shot.  ONE of the turbines fits on a semi trailer, barely, but close enough.  So image three semi trucks flapping in the wind.  Now multiple that by 50 or 100.  The wind farms we spotted from the road had this many or more.  That is a lot of power.  

While we're on the subject of wind, I will share with you a tidbit I learned about them, and might explain their size a little better.  A water pump windmill actually needs the wind in order to operate. Windmills were invented to pump water from wells in the ground when there wasn't electricity available.  The drawback being, if there was no wind, there was no water.  

On the other hand, the wind turbines, in a simple explanation, create wind in order to move the molecules in the air fast enough to create energy that is then captured and converted to electricity.  They don't rely on wind to work, they create it, which is a common misconception (even on my part).  In a sense it's like hydroelectric power and the wind is like the water.  It gets pushed around enough to create energy. Thus the reason the turbines need a wide, open space to make this work, and why we saw so many of them covering the plains.   

Do you think their size is amazing? 

Flora Friday

August 4(for) Green Acres Challenge

These monthly challenges are your opportunity to cultivate your own acres. They are designed to challenge your creativity, test your will power, and pull your awareness to the footstep you are leaving behind.

By participating in these challenges and sharing them with others you are spreading the message. Over time, those around us will be making better choices as well. The goal is not to change how you live your life, but rather think about the implications of those choices and tweek them for the best outcome.

AUGUST CHALLENGE: NATURAL INSECT REPELLENT 

Summer is winding down and for most of us our thoughts are starting to turn toward a new school year. But while you start to engage in all the flurry that comes with a new school year, it is more important than ever to think about protecting your body and your home against mosquitoes.

Believe it or not mosquitoes carry the highest amount of the West Nile virus in early fall, increasing the rate of the disease in August and into September.  Are you prepared?  In Texas alone, 71 cases have already been reported out of the 113 total cases in the U.S.  The data is pretty convincing.

On the other hand, protecting yourself with repellents that are full of chemicals could potentially lead to as many cases of illness as well.  DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) being the number one chemical perpetrator causing major neurological damage if absorbed into the body.  Without going into the details of the dangers of DEET, here is an excerpt from a 2004 article from Natural News.  

Even the EPA says that DEET should not be frequently used -- in other words, they're saying it's okay to poison yourself just a little bit, but not too much. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than one application of DEET per day for children. Once again, this is a position that says it's okay to poison your children just a little bit. The Duke University Medical Center has concluded through laboratory rat studies that long-term use of DEET kills brain neurons.

So there has to be a balance between protecting yourself and what exactly it is you expose yourself to.  This month's challenge is about finding that balance.  Start with the following tips to limit the amount of mosquitoes around your home, and later this month I'll post a few recipes for natural repellent for your body and your yard. 

1. I know you've heard it a thousand times, but it's true.  Standing water breeds mosquitoes.  Heed this advice and walk around your home with fresh eyes.  Better yet, ask a family member or neighbor to walk with you and spot every place there could be standing water.  Bird baths, low areas that collect water from sprinklers or rain, saucers from potted plants on the porch.  Even cracks in concrete can hold water.  Dry these areas.  

2.  Feeding times are at dawn and dusk, which is when a green minded person is typically watering the garden.  Adjust your schedule or wear longer, cotton clothes.  Make repellents that are natural and avoid heavy perfumes or soaps on your body. 

3.  Arm your yard and yourself with the right scents.  Mosquitoes are driven by scent. An attractive scent, such as perfumes and laundry soaps attract them to you.  Same goes for scented flowers that you may have planted in your yard or garden.  However, many herbs such as rosemary, mint, and especially lavender will repel mosquitoes because they can't stand the smell.  Mix in these herbs in pots on your porch or around your garden beds.  Any place you or your family may be interacting at these times of day.  

4.  Be diligent about what your city or town is doing to protect the citizens.  Dallas for example is spraying neighborhoods at night by driving big trucks down the street with arms on each side spraying chemicals in the air.  There is no doubt the spray is full of DEET.  Educate yourself and be sure you and your pets are indoors when they spray and for several hours afterwards.  

There is still time to enjoy what's left of summer, but do so diligently.  

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