It's Insect Time - Are You Prepared? Essential Oils as Insect Repellents
12:25 PM Posted by jo
There are several ways you can use the essential oils to ward off insects. You can make a room spray, a massage blend, drop some oil on the collar of shirts, add to a diffuser, put on cotton balls and put around the house. Another idea is to soak ribbons in water with added essential oils and hang them where you want them. Perhaps hang them in the trees surrounding your patio or in the windows inside. You can make a room spray of an oil like lemongrass, and spray the beds before bedtime to make sure no bugs find its way into the beds.
Bites and stings
Lavender and tea tree has historically been used for bites and stings and can be applied directly on the bite or sting but please dilute if you have a sensitive skin. Drop one drop of the oil straight on the sting or bite. According to Valerie Cooksley, you can also dip a cotton swab in fresh lemon juice, witch hazel or apple cider vinegar, and add one or two drops of essential oil to the swab.
Valerie Cooksley, R.N. also suggests that chamomile, lemon, tea tree, lavender, bergamot, and eucalyptus provide relief for pain, swelling, and itching from bites.
Repellents
The insects' sense of smell is very sensitive. In nature plants release certain aromatic molecules, which are essential oils, to either attract insect for pollination, or to ward off specific harmful insects.
Insect repellent essential oils
For mosquitoes:
Lemon, peppermint, lemongrass, citronella, geranium, rosemary, palo santo, Iday tansy
Lemon, peppermint, lemongrass, citronella, geranium, rosemary, palo santo, Iday tansy
For moths:
Patchouli, palo santo
For house flies:
Citronella, geranium.
Horse fly repellent:
Idaho tansy, citronella
Citronella, geranium.
Horse fly repellent:
Idaho tansy, citronella
For fleas:
Lemon
Lemon
For ants:
All mints
Aphid repellent:
Mix 10 drops spearmint and 15 drops orange essential oils in 2 quarts salt water, shake well, and spray on plants.
Cockroach repellent:
Mix 10 drops peppermint and 5 cypress in 1/2 cup salt water. Shake well and spray where the roaches live.
Silverfish repellent:
Eucalyptus radiata, Young Living Thieves blend
All mints
Aphid repellent:
Mix 10 drops spearmint and 15 drops orange essential oils in 2 quarts salt water, shake well, and spray on plants.
Cockroach repellent:
Mix 10 drops peppermint and 5 cypress in 1/2 cup salt water. Shake well and spray where the roaches live.
Silverfish repellent:
Eucalyptus radiata, Young Living Thieves blend
You can also use an Antibacterial Blend (Purification) as a general insect repellent, it contains the oils of Citronella, lemongrass, rosemary, Melaleuca, lavandin, and myrtle.
Other insect repellent oils are tea tree, lavender, Cedarwood, thyme, rosemary and pine. Cedarwood and pine should not be used on infants or small children.
The general rule is to use 1% dilution for children under two years old, (5-6 drops essential oil to 1 ounce or 2T carrier oil), After two years a 2% dilution may be used (10-12 drops essential oil to 1 ounce or 2T carrier oil). So for older children it will be about half of the adult dosage.
Use the dilution chart to adjust the amount for the age of your child. The dilution chart will also give you an idea what oils are appropriate for each age group.
As always experiment, make your own blends using the oils you have available.
Make sure you read the safety page and the dilution chart to make sure you are aware of what oils are suitable for your child.
Make sure you read the safety page and the dilution chart to make sure you are aware of what oils are suitable for your child.
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