Here's a fun & fast tutorial that will give you the knowledge to safely and effectively rid your home of bugs and critters!
We were all put on this planet for a reason, bugs included. This means that we need to co-exist peacefully, right? We don't however, have to co-exist in our own home. That's asking a lot. We have some time tested herbal remedies to gently shoo bugs and small furry critters from your house.
Let's talk about repellant as opposed to insecticide.
We are becoming more aware of the impact of herbicide and pesticides on our health. There is much talk about GMO’s that contain built in insecticides and pesticides to protect crops from insect predators. We'd much rather repel than kill for so many reasons! Like it or not, we get to ingest the residue of these harmful agents, they build up in our fat cells and over time, make a measurable impact. Cancer is epidemic and autoimmune disease is on the rise. We are becoming more aware, and many people are turning to an organic diet in order to regain whole health. We need to take it a step further and make sure that what we put on our skin, and what we surround ourselves with is also free of harmful chemicals.
Our skin is a permeable membrane
Whatever we put on it, we absorb straight into our system. This is why we are madly passionate for natural solutions when it comes to well, just about everything....but definitely, for skin care products and especially for spray on products that are typically laden with toxic chemicals. Bug spray is the worst offender! The proprietary Dancing Willow Bug Be Gone blend is our glorious solution to what ever is annoying you.
The list of lovely ingredients (who else can say that about bug spray?) includes nepetalactones which is an isolate from catnip that has been proven to be 10X more effective than deet. (The cats will love you, so don't wear it on safari.) We get rave reviews and it sells out as fast as we make it!
We also love to use Essential Oils to fight off creepy crawlies.
Here is a fun list of bugs and critters and the active ingredients that really "tick them off'".
No See Ums (sand fleas, juniper gnats, other biting gnats
Clove Oil
Lavender Oil,
Lemon Grass
Eucalyptus,
Ticks:
Rose Geranium Essential Oil
Lavender Essential Oil
Citronella or Lemon Essential Oil.
Flies:
Basil. You can keep basil in pots to repel insects or make it into a repellent spray.Lavender. Place dried lavender is bundles to keep flies out of your home
Lemongrass.
Lemon thyme
Mint Oil
Rosemary Oil
Mosquitoes:
Lavender. Have you ever noticed that insects or even rabbits and other animals have never decimated your lavender plant?Marigolds. Marigolds, an easy-to-grow annual flower, emit a smell that deters mosquitoes
Lemon/Lemongrass/Citronella
Catnip
Rosemary oil
Basil oil
Geranium oil
Moths:
Cedar oil
Peppermint oil
Eucalyptus oil
Ants, Mice and Spiders: peppermint, spearmint, lavender and eucalyptus. Any of these strong smelling oils are a deterrent and are sending a powerful message that it’s time to leave.
How to use: You can make a quick and easy pomander from an old sock stuffed with dried herbs and spritzed with essential oils. Tuck it into problem nooks and crannies where bugs and mice enter and party. It will also act as a room freshener.
Hopefully, this is information that you can put to good use. Stay tuned, in our next letter we will have some awesome recipes and ideas for cleaning your green home.