As soon as the first sunny Spring day hit, my kids have been outside. When we get home school, they run right into the backyard without even coming inside. My biggest struggle has been just getting them to come in and eat dinner! I absolutely love that they like to play outside. Some of my best memories from childhood are from those warm summer evenings when all of the neighborhood kids were running around until our parents made us come in to go to bed.
Of course as a kid, I never worried about a thing. Bug bites happened but they seemed to be a minor annoyance that came along with all of the fun we were having. Being on the other side now as a parent, I'm glad they are having fun, but I do get concerned about the bugs.
My daughter especially reacts quite strongly to bites. They swell up and become large itchy bumps for a week or better (the best remedy for that has been tea tree oil or my handmade salve). They bother her to the point where sometimes it disturbs her sleep. Not only are they itchy and annoying but we have diseases, like West Nile Virus, to worry about too.
Toxic Conventional Bug Spray
Unfortunately, most of the regular bug spray products contain pretty harsh chemicals. One of the most well known ingredient in bug repellents is DEET. It is a very strong chemical designed to kill mosquitoes (if it can kill bugs, what else is it doing??). Even the Environmental Protection Agency says you should wash it off your skin when you return indoors, avoid breathing it in, and not spray it directly on your face.
There is a lot of information available cautioning us about using DEET on children. It is so strong it can even burn the skin in higher concentrations and can damage the nervous system. It has even been found to cause seizures in small children.
Safe Alternatives
Since my children are always outdoors I need an alternative to the toxic products that are on the market so I turned to essential oils. There are a number of different oils that help keep the bugs away. To make it easier to use, mix your essential oils in water with a little witch hazel and put it in a spray bottle.
I first learned about essential oils about 7 years ago and at the time there weren't as many choices in brands available as there are today. I was introduced to Young Living by a friend and never looked back. I have since tried other brands throughout the years and I always go back to Young Living. They seem stronger and more concentrated then other brands I've tried because I always get better results when using them.
Here are some essential oils that are helpful in keeping the bugs away:
**Always spot test essential oils when using them for the first time to avoid allergic reactions because they are highly concentrated.
- Cedar
- Lemongrass
- Citronella
- Lavender
- Eucalyptus
- Geranium
Use any of these oils on their own or mixed with some of the others on this list.
I use a mix of three essential oils along with neem oil in my own homemade bug spray. You can buy a bottle of my own bug spray here.
Another trick I use, especially in the summer is to add some of these oils into liquid castile soap and use as a body wash in the bath or shower. It's an easy way to get the oils on your children without having to spray them.
I also attract Mosquitos and am itchy for a week. Tea tree oil applied to the bite lessens the healing time, but the key is to put oil on it right after getting bitten and to keep reapplying.
I’ve tried a number of DEET free commercial sprays, but my favorite is Liquid Net (available on Amazon but can be bought cheaper when Spray-N-Grow (natural gardening products) has sales. Although it has cedar oil in it, it is NOT oily at all, so unlike other essential oil sprays, you don’t have to worry about rubbing off your protection. It is the consistency of water and will not stain, so you can even spray it on your clothes or hair. I am not affiliated with Liquid Net, LOL, but I camp (RV) and live in Florida. I also sometimes use Coghlans bug pants and jacket.
Thanks for the tip about the bug spray that works for you! Cedar oil works great.
I forgot to mention… We don’t spend much time outside (either too hot or too cold where we live), but I saw a low tech (and cheap) device on Amazon that had good reviews. It’s basically a mesh bag that goes over any regular standing circular fan. It somehow traps the Mosquitos. Worth trying if you have an electrical source handy.
THE BEST mosquito repellent is catnip essential oil, by far!! Scientific tests revealed that it is 10x better than DEET at repelling mosquitoes. I am surprised you didn’t mention it? Maybe because Young Living doesn’t offer it?
I just think that although you may not sell something, (and so you don’t get any benefit from it) you should mention it to your readers so they can choose the best thing for themselves?
Catnip oil is #1. Trust me on this. I lived in Panama in the rain forests. I have successfully tested this out, after unsuccessfully using some of the oils you mention above.
Hi Rebecca, I did not know about catnip essential oil! I would love to try it. FYI, I mention things all the time that I’m not selling – that’s really not what I’m about. Thanks for the tip!
Okay so I’m a little freaked out about Zika and I’m pregnant with spontaneous triplets. My doctor recommends using bug spray with DEET. I saw on CDC website they recommend a lot of chemicals as well as lemon eucalyptus oil. I wonder if the lemon eucalyptus oil would work with the chemical products?
I meant without the chemical products
We are in the process of buying a house with lots of forest land and I am SO freaked about getting ticks and other pests. Have you tried this on ticks or biting creatures? I’m wondering how reliable it is to use on particularly pesky bugs…
I know what you mean… I live in New England so ticks are BAD here. I’ve used a variety of different oils and many of them help but need to be reapplied often.
I always appreciate when people share useful articles. Essential oils became a part of our daily life! They have many functions, and it is lovely! Can I share this for my Pinterest followers?
Lemmongrass helps to keep mosquitos away! Yes! Thanks for this useful post!
Hi Rebecca, I tried so many essential oils, some of them work a little bit. I will try your tips which you share here.