12 Tips, 21 Non-Toxic Repellents & 4 Home Remedies
to Protect You & Your Family From Insects… NATURALLY

Summer’s here and so are the bugs. Rates of insect-borne disease are on the rise and the risks are much higher than the annoyance of ants invading your picnic basket. West Nile, Lyme and Zika are three very serious infections that can all be contracted from a single insect bite. Preventive steps are literal lifesavers, but harsh chemicals including DEET introduce long-term adverse effects on our environment and us. Here we offer some natural ways to protect yourself this summer.

12 Tips

1. Wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks.
2. To stop ticks, tuck long pants into your socks and avoid tall grass and underbrush.
3. Keep your lawn cut short.
4. Stay indoors at dusk and dawn– peak mosquito times.
5. Keep screens in good repair and use netting over beds.
6. Using a fan discourages mosquitoes.
7. Plant mosquito-repelling plants including scented geraniums, lemon thyme, marigold, tansy, sweet basil and/or sassafras near your home.
8. Eliminate standing water and refresh birdbaths regularly.
9. Encourage natural predators–bats, dragonflies, praying mantis, spiders, and birds.
10. Use yellow light bulbs in outdoor fixtures, they are not as attractive to bugs white ones.
11. Use unscented products.
12. Choose nontoxic repellents.

21 Natural Repellents

1. Citronella: mosquitoes cannot stand the smell of citrus, and lemons in particular
2. Bay Leaf: can be used to keep roaches, moths, earwigs and mosquitoes away
3. Catnip: the strong scent repels mosquitoes and cockroaches
4. Wormwood: the leaves are legendary for warding away mosquitoes
5. Rosemary: will keep mosquitoes at bay
6. Rue: has disinfectant and antibacterial properties as well as a natural insecticidal effect
7. Peppermint: no insect or biting bug likes the scent of peppermint
8. Coconut Oil: is highly efficient against insects
9. Eucalyptus Oil: has mosquito and fly repelling properties
10. Wild Bergamot: has a pleasant smell and repels pests
11. Basil: grow in your garden to discourage insects
12. Marigolds: prevent biting bugs from feeding on you and your veggie garden
13. Tansy: is flowering herb that keeps flies, roaches, bedbugs, mites and ants away.
14. Lavender: plants will keep bugs away with its lovely (for us!) scent.
15. Baby Powder: sprinkled around your home keeps wasps, mosquitoes and bees at bay.
16. Tea Tree: has an antibacterial and antimicrobial property with a scent that no bug likes!
17. Citrus Peels: scattered where spiders and other insects may crawl in keeps them out!
18. Cinnamon: also keeps insects away when sprinkled around your house
19. Vanilla Extract: is another pleasant smelling alternative that acts as an efficient insect repellent – you can use it alone or mix with mint, lavender or lemongrass extract.
20. Natural Cedar: keeps away mosquitoes, bedbugs and other creepy crawlers.
21. Garlic: neither vampires nor mosquitoes like it- just sprinkle garlic powder around your home and see for yourself!

4 Home Remedies

1. Tea Tree Oil: Remove the stinger and gently apply it around the entry point.
2. Baking Soda: Mix with water to form a paste, remove stinger and apply to bite.
3. Yellow Onion: Slice one in half and rub the cut side on the bite
4. Vinegar: Tape a soaked cotton ball over the bite overnight.

Some content by MindBodyGreen.com and BestPlants.com © 2016

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