How to Make Natural Bug Repellent

With a mild fall and winter in Binghamton comes other problems. Bugs.  Lots of bugs.  Reports show that more ticks, fleas and mosquitoes are expected to invade our area than ever before and with that, comes a potential for big health concerns.

With the influx of bugs comes diseases such as West Nile Virus, Lyme disease, Eastern equine encephalitis, Rocky Mountain spotted fever and others.

A friend of mine is having her mother tested for Lyme disease as she has been bit by ticks a half dozen times and is showing some of the symptoms of fatigue and muscle and joint pain.  As I wrote in a recent post, Lyme disease can be very difficult to diagnose.

There's even a conference dedicated to these health concerns.  Binghamton University is holding a Lyme disease conference on May 7th at the BU Innovative Technology Complex, Saturday, May 7th from 8am-6pm.

The best way to enjoy outdoors safely is to spray yourself with a good bug repellent. DEET outperforms just about anything else out there and is considered the gold standard in bug repellents.  But DEET has some concerned with its potential toxicity including central nervous system disturbances.

There are some chemical-free alternatives that some say work as well as DEET but for a much shorter period of time, usually every 45 to 60 minutes if you go in the water or sweat a lot.  I make my own up using essential oils, available at most health food stores in the Southern Tier.

Here is the recipe that I use:

• 1 tablespoon of vodka (or witch hazel)
• 40 drops of either essential lavender oil or geranium rose oil
• 1/3 cup of DISTILLED water

That's it.  Funnel everything in to a 4 ounce spray bottle and you're good to go.  It should last you for quite some time.  Feel free to spray this on your skin, clothes and yes, it's safe for kids, your dog and even your horse.  Do NOT use on your cat.