Essential Oils and BUGS!
June 18th, 2011 by adminFather’s Day is tomorrow. This day is typically filled with all kinds of fun outdoor activities: fishing at the lake, playing tag football, grilling with the family, etc. Besides fun and food, the other item all these activities have in common is bugs: mosquitoes, ticks, mites, etc. Yuck! I really dislike bugs!
A few years ago when our area of the United States finally began experiencing adequate rainfall, the mosquitoes (in particular) became quite bad. With these stinging pests came the threat of West Nile Virus, a particularly nasty parasite that leads to flu-like symptoms ranging from mild to severe complications on the nervous and cardiovascular systems. In horses, West Nile is often fatal. Since we own several valuable geldings, our veterinarian suggested using a chemical insect repellent on our horses. After reading the warning label on the repellent (which included advise on wearing latex gloves during application, and NOT to be used by women who are pregnant or may become pregnant) we decided that the chemical may be as bad as the disease and began using essential oils to create our own safe insect repellent for our pets.
“Fly Away” all-natural insect repellent works on mosquitos, ticks, flys (of all varieties), and other insects. It is made with ingredients found in most kitchens and a blend of essential oils including melaleuca oil. You can learn how to make “Fly Away” at our essential oils class, or it can be purchased from Natural Alternatives.
Melaleuca (or “tea tree”) oil is harvested from the melaleuca tree in Australia. This pungent oil is antimicrobial, immune stimulating, and particularly anti-fungal making it a great choice for pest repellents, athlete’s foot, dandruff, and dermatitis, just to name a few. This oil is one of my “first aid oils” as it also helps in respiratory issues.
“Fly Away” doesn’t have a terribly pleasant smell, so we don’t recommend using it as a personal insect repellent, just for pets. However, it is safe to use on wood making it an excellent choice for decks, door frames, window wells, and other areas prone to insect-home breech. Enjoy your Father’s Day….bug free!
Hi Summer, Thanks for the information on your ‘Fly Away’ spray. I have also heard that Listerine sprayed around the deck, window and door frames is helpful. Have you tried that also?
Thanks for a great blog! Mary
Mary,
No, I haven’t tried that. However, when I looked up the active ingredients in Listerine, it would make sense that it could work. Listerine contains eucalyptol, a derivative from eucalyptus oil, which is also from the same plant family as melaleuca. It also contains menthol (a derivative from peppermint oil), and thymol (a synthetic phenolic) which is a vermifuge (a substance used as an anti-parasitic, which of course, insects would be). So, it would be worth a try. I’d use it carefully around varnished wood, however, as its alcohol content is quite high and could damage finished wood.
Thanks for the encouragement! I’m glad you enjoy the blog.
For Health,
Summer Joy