Mosquitoes, fleas, ticks, spiders, chiggers…all sure signs that summer is in full swing. Of course, they can’t just exist in peace with us humans. They far prefer to bite every inch of exposed flesh and leave us running for the bug spray and benadryl.
But, the bug spray and Benadryl come with their own set of problems. Here’s a few alternatives that will help you deal with these critters more naturally.
Load up on the garlic. Insects hate it, especially the biting ones. Besides being a natural immune booster that helps protect you from several health problems like high cholesterol and the common cold, it wards off biting insects because they don’t like the taste of it. A clove or two a day is all you need!
Then, we have the miracle liquid…apple cider vinegar. I cannot even begin to list all the amazing benefits of organic apple cider vinegar. It flushes your system, it boosts immunity, it helps with arthritis…and it wards off biting insects. As with garlic, it builds up in your system and insects can’t stand the flavor. A teaspoon twice a day and you’ll feel like a new person…one that is free of bug bites!
There are also several essential oils that make wonderful insect repellents and are much easier on the entire body than commercially available products. Here is my recipe for a natural bug spray:
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I prefer olive or sesame, but just about any of them will do)
1/2 cup distilled water
4-5 drops each of the following essential oils: rosemary, basil, pennyroyal, peppermint
7-10 drops of citronella essential oil
Spray on liberally and you are ready to go!
Of course, the occasional bug is going to find its way to your tender flesh and it will sink its mean little teeth in. When that happens, I grab my Bite and Sting ointment. It contains ingredients that are known for drawing toxins from the skin, reducing inflammation, calming the itchies and healing damaged tissue. Check out some of these ingredients:
Burdock promotes the healing of wounds and is a classic remedy for skin conditions which result in dry, scaly skin and cutaneous eruptions (eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, boils, carbuncles, sties), relieve bruises and inflamed surfaces generally. It restores smoothness to the skin and contains a good amount of several vitamins (especially A and B2 – thiamin) as well as minerals, especially iron, chromium, cobalt, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, zinc, and potassium. It is alleged to neutralize and eliminate poisons in the system.
Black Walnut Hulls contain natural chemicals that are astringent, which helps improve the firmness of the tissues. These chemicals are also active against inflammation, can balance sugar levels in the blood, and detoxify your body. It has the ability to fight against fungal infections, and acts with an antiseptic property which helps fight bacterial infection. It cleanses the system of toxins and poisons.
Basil is a detoxifier, stimulting sluggish and congested circulation of the skin and can be used for acne and minor skin infections. It is also reputed to have antiseptic value and to neutralise the toxins of bites and stings.
This ointment isn’t just good for bites, though. It works wonders on stings from bees and wasps. When one of us inevitably gets stung, we pinch off the site to keep the venom from circulating through our system and lather on the ointment. Within minutes, the pain is gone and, if we catch it right away it doesn’t even leave behind a red mark on the stung area. This ointment is a total necessity in our house!
That’s not all, though. The most amazing thing ever about this fantastic ointment? You know those nasty spider bites? Two of my customers ended up with some ugly, oozing holes in their skin from a brown recluse. After antibiotics and painful scrapings that did no good, they tried this ointment. I’m proud to report that after 3 weeks, the bites completely healed. The scarring was minimal, the pain was gone and they now keep a tube of ointment nearby…just in case!