Mosquitoes Bugging You?

It's that time of year when the mosquitoes come calling. For my family it means we have to be ready to fight one of our biggest outdoor challenges so we can enjoy some outdoor fun.

We live in a highly wooded yard and the mosquitoes can get so bad my children will actually fore go outdoor activities rather than be bitten by these loathsome critters. I can't very well blame them especially when I see the welts these pests leave on their delicate skin. More worrisome then the welts are the chance of contracting West Nile virus or the other diseases that mosquitoes carry. Yet we have to get outside!

Aggressive action is needed at our house to win the battle of Us vs. The Mosquitoes; and that is exactly what we do! We use a variety of methods to manage the mosquitoes. We use a propane powered Mosquito Trap, we hang pheromone Mosquito Traps, we use candles with drops of essential oils in them when we dine outside and we have my children's favorite mosquito warfare tactic - shooting them down with water guns. But the one action I won't take is spraying bug spray that contains DEET on my children.

Yes, DEET is the most powerful insect repellent made but I can't bring myself to apply this chemical onto my children and here's why. DEET is known to cause neurological damage, and once it enters the bloodstream, it makes its way to the nervous system, where it is known to cause seizures and even deaths.

DEET can be especially harmful to children, which is why The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than one application of DEET per day for children. Okay, great, so one application a day won't cause any damage? But what happens over time when my children's bodies have absorbed years of DEET use? No Thanks, I don't want to know! I'll stick to my homemade bug sprays made with essential oils!!

Essential oils work wonderfully to repel mosquitoes without any neurological damage ;-) and when you use Soybean oil as the base for the lotion you will have a very effective mosquito repellent. An efficacy test at the University of Florida on various types of repellents indicated that a soybean oil-based repellent is as effective as repellents with low concentrations of DEET and when USDA researchers tested the success of a soybean oil repellent, they found that it provided protection from bites between 5 and 8 hours, depending on the species of mosquito they studied.

Essential Oils to Use for Natural Mosquito Repellent:

Single Oils - Peppermint, Eucalyptus Radiata, Lemon, Lime, Lavender, Tea Tree, Cedarwood, Geranium, Idaho Tansy, Rosemary, Patchouli, Citronella, Lemongrass, Thyme

Young Living Blends - Purification, Thieves, Melrose

The following Blend is found in the Essential Oils Desk Reference (3rd Edition)

Insect Repellent Blend
6 drops Peppermint
6 drops Tea Tree
9 drops Eucalyptus Radiata

Get Young Living Essential Oils here...

How To Use Essential Oils as Mosquito Repellent:

1. Make a lotion using 10 drops of essential oil to 2 Tablespoons Soybean Oil.


2. Make a spray by mixing the essential oils with water in a spray bottle. Shake the mix before using and take care not to spray the eyes.


3. Having a party? Cut some festive fabric into strips and dip into the insect repellent blend or one of the insect-repelling essential oils mixed with water and hang or tie to trees around your yard to make a natural barrier for the mosquitoes.


4. Add a few drops of your choice of insect-repelling essential oils to your shampoo, conditioner, or liquid soap to help counteract the perfumes in these products that attract the mosquitoes.


5. Wear a Terra-Cotta Pendant Simply put a few drops of the insect-repelling essential oils onto the pendant and wear it around your neck. These pendants will diffuse the oils in your space and keep the mosquitoes away.


6. Add a few drops of Cinnamon Oil to standing water such as bird baths and rain barrels. According to a study published in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Cinnamon Oil has been found to be more effective in killing mosquito larvae than DEET.

Please take caution and don't spray or apply any insect repellents over cuts, scratches, rashes, or other open spots in the skin. And note that while these repellents do work, they are certainly not as effective as DEET. You will need to reapply these homemade insect-repellents more often than you do commercial brands but I think you will find the benefits of not absorbing the toxic chemicals far outweighs the reapplication.

Let me know if you try these solutions and how they work for you.

Please contact me if you have any questions or need help ordering any of the oils.

Yours in Scentsible Wellness,
Elizabeth