Organic Insecticides | Organic Pesticides | EcoSMART Bug Spray

• Reasons to avoid harmful pesticides
• How natural bug repellents work
• Recipe for (bug) destruction

Reasons to avoid harmful pesticides

Of course you don’t want to expose your children to pesticides. Just like how you don’t want them to eat a diet rich in junk food. But let’s face it, cupcakes taste way better than carrots, and pesticides are everywhere including our schools, restaurants and air. While we can’t eliminate world-wide pesticide use over night, we can eliminate the use of them in our homes and certainly on our skin.

Pesticides mainly affect these body systems:

• Endocrine (responsible for regulating growth, development and metabolism)
• Nervous (controls our bodily actions and transmits signals between bodily systems)
• Immune (protects us from disease by killing pathogens)

These 3 systems are most vulnerable during a child’s developmental years. In 2004, the CDC collected some data on the presence of pesticides in humans. Many of the pesticides found have been linked to health problems including infertility, birth defects and child and adult cancers.

And these are just the human-related effects. Consider what pesticides do to the environment and other animal species.

To decrease the chances of future pesticide-related problems in your family (and the environment), put down the harmful spray bottle and try going for the natural and organic options. There are a lot to choose from; just be sure your chosen product is the real thing by learning to read labels.

How natural bug repellents work

I’m sure you’ve heard of DEET. It’s the chemical found in most house-hold bug repellents. Though, technically, it’s “safe” for humans in small doses, it inhibits the activity of a central nervous enzyme in mammals and insects. For the pesky bugs, that’s fine, but not for us, our kids or our pets. If you do use products with DEET, however, make sure the amount of DEET is no more than 10% and that you apply it sparingly and with caution.

A good, natural alternative to DEET is eucalyptus oil, or p-menthane-3,8-diol if we want to get technical. All natural bug repellent products like eucalyptus oil work on the same premise as DEET; they make humans unattractive to a mosquito so that it will avoid areas of the body that have been sprayed with the product. Repellents do not kill mosquitoes.

And as you may know, eucalyptus smells nice (doubling as a potpourri) and is eaten by Koala Bears (proving it’s pretty safe for us mammals). Though I would not advise you to eat it yourself.

• the solution must be reapplied more often than DEET-based repellents
• the solution takes longer to work than other repellent products

Yet, when it depends on your family’s and the environment’s health and safety, these downsides may not seem so bad.

And as with most things, preventative measures often work the best. For example, if you’re camping in a forest on a hot summer evening, wear long sleeves and pants to enhance mosquito and/or tick bite protection.

Recipe for (bug) destruction

Now here’s the fun part. As mentioned, eucalyptus oil is a safe alternative to DEET, and can repel mosquitoes, ticks, lice and dust mites. If you’re feeling adventurous, why not try your hand at creating some natural and organic bug repellent of your own?

First, let’s see what other essential oils can repel bugs:

• Cinnamon, lemon grass, citronella and castor oil (mosquitos)
• Orange oil (fleas)
• Rose geranium (ticks and lice)

All of these oils can be found at natural product/food stores such as Whole Foods or at a local food cooperative. These natural oils can also be mixed to create a repellent that’s specific to your needs.

However, you must dilute the oils before applying them. You can use cooking oils (e.g. vegetable, olive), witch hazel or vodka to dilute.

Here’s a basic sample recipe that you can use to create your own repellent:

1. Mix 10 drops of cinnamon oil, 15 drops of orange oil and 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.
2. Agitate or stir until oils are evenly combined.
3. Store the solution in a spray bottle or other dark-tinted jar or bottle.

Now you have a mosquito-flea repellent that is safe for you, your children and pets. For larger amounts of solution, double or triple the recipe as needed.

Finally, consider a lavender oil mixture to create a calming solution, or a tea tree oil mixture to create a minor bug bite, rash or itch remedy. Both are, of course, safe and natural.

What’s your natural repellent remedy? Share it below.