DIY Homemade Bug Spray
Summer is coming quickly and for some of us, it’s already here – lovely South Florida weather. One of the most important things about summer is getting outside and having fun. With the fun times outside come the bad part about summertime – bugs. One of the best defenses against these summertime buggers is the use of bug sprays.
Unfortunately, bug sprays are not healthy for us or the environment. Don’t get me wrong, they do the job. But, do you realize the chemicals that are in those sprays? Do you know what those chemicals do to us and the environment?
Most bug repellents contain DEET (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) as their active ingredient. DEET has been in use since its discovery in 1953 and is now the most common ingredient found in insect repellent preparations. It has been found to be a neurotoxin and can cause many other health problems. Here is a list of the many effects DEET can cause to our bodies:
Symptoms of swallowing sprays that contain pyrethrins are:
Breathing difficulty
Coughing
Loss of alertness (stupor), from the blood oxygen level being out of balance
Tremors (if a large amount is swallowed)
Seizures (if a large amount is swallowed)
Upset stomach
Vomiting
Below are symptoms of using sprays that contain DEET in different parts of the body.
SKIN
Hives or mild skin redness and irritation. These symptoms are usually mild and will go away when the product is washed off the skin.
More severe skin reactions that include blistering, burning, and permanent scars of the skin. These symptoms may occur when someone uses products that contain a large amount of DEET over a long period of time. Military personnel or game wardens may use these types of products.
EYES, EARS, NOSE, AND THROAT
Temporary burning and redness, if DEET is sprayed into these parts of the body. Washing the area will usually make the symptoms go away. Burns to the eye may require medicine.
STOMACH AND INTESTINES (If SOMEONE SWALLOWS A SMALL AMOUNT OF DEET)
Moderate to severe stomach irritation
Nausea and vomiting
HEART AND BLOOD (IF A LARGE AMOUNT OF DEET IS SWALLOWED)
Low blood pressure
Very slow heartbeat
NERVOUS SYSTEM
Insomnia and mood changes. These symptoms may occur with long-term use of large amounts of DEET (over 50% concentration).
Disorientation
Clumsiness when walking
Seizures
Coma
Death
By far, the most serious complication of DEET poisonings is damage to the nervous system. Death is possible for people who develop nervous system damage from DEET.
DEET is especially dangerous for small children. Seizures may occur in small children who regularly have DEET on their skin for long periods of time. Care should be taken to use only products that have smaller amounts of DEET. These products should be used only for short periods of time. Products containing DEET probably should not be used on infants. Source
DEET is one very nasty chemical and we can still avoid bugs and their bites without using DEET. The best way to do this is to use essential oils. Essential oils are a wonderful product to use for so many different things. They are healthy for our bodies and the environment. Some people may be allergic to some kinds of essential oils due to the plant source so please check before using any kind of essential oil in in any type of application.
The best thing I have found to keep myself and my family bug and bite free is a wonderful homemade bug spray that I came across several years ago. We’ve been using it all this time and it works wonderfully. As I’ve mentioned before, we live in Florida which is not only mostly summertime all year but it is also the mosquito capital. Well, this bug spray works on all these pesky buggers all year long.
This bug spray has a wonderful smell to it so you won’t be stinky like commercial bug sprays can make you smell. You can also use this spray on children and pets because it is chemical free.
This recipe calls for 40 drops of essential oils. You can use only one type of essential oil but this spray works best if you use more than one. I personally use 20 drops of lavender, 10 drops of citronella and 10 drops of lemongrass.
To help you decide which essential oils to use here is a breakdown of each essential oil listed in the recipe and which bugs they each deter:
LAVENDER: Mosquitos, Flies, Gnats & Ticks
CITRONELLA: Mosquitos
LEMONGRASS: Mosquitos & Ticks
EUCALYPTUS: Mosquitos & Ticks
PEPPERMINT & SPEARMINT: Flies & Gnats
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