What is Bugging You? Lets look at a few simple and effective ways to get rid of bugs naturally and make a DIY Bug Spray with Essential Oils

Did you know many bugs are repelled by essential oils? (not honey bees however, they are attracted to scents). For example ants follow a scent trail. So when you see them marching across your kitchen counter grab your essential oils. Essential oils work great at erasing that trail and sending them packing! You can put essential oils on a cotton ball and place it in a drawer or corner or wipe the area with the cotton ball. You can also make a simple spray with water and essential oils. 

Here are some essential oils to use instead of reaching for those nasty chemicals: 

• cinnamon 
• peppermint
• clove
• tea tree 
• lemon or orange

Here are some other natural ant solutions:

• Sprinkle cinnamon in the area, they won't come back.
• Chalk, mark a line, they will not cross the line of chalk (but they may find a way around it).
• Sprinkle borax in the area they are in, they ingest it and it will (eventually) kill them, however it is toxic to ingest so should not be used around pets or children. (This one takes too long for me personally, I just do not have that kind of patience.)

Others bug problems? 

• Mosquitoes, slugs, spiders, fleas, flies, lice, roaches, beetles, ants and most bugs do not like peppermint.
• Wood ticks are repelled by lavender, lemongrass and thyme.
• Moths are repelled by patchouli.

Personal Bug Spray

You can also make your own all natural bug spray! Mix equal amounts of water and witch hazel in a 4 oz. bottle with 25-30 drops of essential oils. Some effective essential oils you can use are: Thyme, Citronella, Clove, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Eucalyptus, Cedar, Lavender, Mint and Purification

I personally made a bug spray last year for our family. It worked great. The first time I used it I sprayed myself and had a wood tick run off my head right after I sprayed (I had been outside before hand and had forgotten to spray). Eww!!!

Here is the recipe I use:

DIY Bug Repellant 
2 ounces water
2 ounces witch hazel
5 drops Purification
5 drops Lemongrass
3 drops Tea Tree (Mel-A)
3 drops Peppermint
3 drops Thieves
3 drops Lavender
3 drops Lemon

Bug bites? 

Our favorite remedy for anything skin related is to use is lavender essential oil. Purification works great as well. We keep a roll on of lavender with us all the time for those occasional cuts, rashes or bug bites. It is an essential part of our first aid kit.

Blessings!

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