Organic Insecticides | Organic Pesticides | EcoSMART Bug Spray

Back To School Essentials!

It’s that time again; pack the kids up and send them off to school!  Before school starts comes the real fun, back to school shopping. 

Every year it’s the same drill at the store: buy a backpack, pencils and paper, the list goes on and on.  There’s one hot item that every mom should add to her list this year.

Insect repellents may be the furthest thing from your mind when shopping for back to school.  Back to school season gives kids many opportunities to be put at risk for bug bites!  Recess, after school sports practices, sports outings, class field trips and even fall weekend activities.

When choosing an insect repellent, opt for an all natural insect repellent.  EcoSMART is an organic insect repellent that is completely safe around children and pets, perfect for your child’s backpack!  Check out all of EcoSMART’s great products!

Written by: Rachel Yurchak

Use More Bug Spray!

Everyday, you are at risk of being infected with West Nile Virus.  Think about it; when leaving your home to travel anywhere, you are putting yourself at risk.  Mosquitoes crave exposed skin, and no one is an exception to their vicious cycle.

Okay, so maybe that sounds a little intense, but it’s true!  There is little chance that everyone can soak up in bug spray before going outside everyday.  Yet there are times when we are outside for an extended amount of time without even thinking about those creepy crawlers.  This fall, whether you are attending a night football game, a Labor Day picnic, or simply enjoying the cooling fall weather, keep in mind that lurking mosquitoes have high potentiality of carrying fatal diseases.

To ease this fear, invest in some natural insect repellent.  EcoSMART has an entire line of non-toxic products that can easily be taken from one destination to the next.  To avoid the terrible West Nile, EcoSMART makes an awesome organic insect repellent.  Not only does it keep you, the kids and the pets safe, but it also has a great, fresh scent!

Written by: Rachel Yurchak

Mosquito-Free Summer Concerts

Summer is the perfect season for concerts. What could be better than live music, friends, and warm summer weather?   All of the above — with the exception of mosquitoes. Because we all know that outdoor concert venues, which are where most concerts take place in the summer, are typically going to have some mosquitoes flying around trying to feed off of all of the hot, sweaty music goers. Your time will be a lot more enjoyable if you don’t have to worry about these blood sucking bugs. Last week I attended an all day concert series and was very thankful that I brought along some of EcoSMART’s mosquito repellent, because by the time the sun went down, the mosquitoes were out and about and all of my friends were begging me for some of my bug spray.

Not only are these critters a nuisance, but they can also be pretty harmful to your health. If you scratch mosquito bites they can become infected, you may experience allergic reactions, and you could be at risk for mosquito borne diseases. Why risk all of these issues when you can easily just bring along some of EcoSMART’s mosquito repellent? This product is DEET free and completely safe for use around children and animals, which is just another perk of using it!

Enjoy the show –pest free.

By Megan Striner

Tips for Smart, Summer Runs

If you’re a runner, summer is a great time to get outside to exercise, train or just jog for a fun!  Here are some tips on helping you make your summer runs more great:

1. Get new music for your iPod or MP3! Nothing gets me as motivated to run up a hill like a favorite beat of mine. Songs with heavy or fast beats always get me moving. Try to change up your running playlist often so that songs never get old.

2. Wear double layer anklet socks.  Feet-sweat could lead to blisters. The perfect socks for running have two thin layers so that heat and friction are in between the two layers of material instead of between your foot and sock. Therefore moisture is less likely to get trapped next to your skin, leaving you with less of a chance of getting nasty blisters.

3. Stay hydrated! If you’re able to take water with you somehow, do it. If not, make sure you drink plenty of water before and after a run. It’s not wise to start a run already

4.  Wear insect repellent. Especially if you like running in the evenings, those bugs will get you! Most insect repellents are greasy and come off when you sweat, but EcoSMART’s insect repellent is perfect for sweaty runners! You’ll hardly notice you even put it on.

Written by Nicole Paladin

The Perfect Summer Date

What makes a perfect date? Don’t worry about the fancy restaurant or elaborate gifts for once. Forget about what shoes you’re wearing and go barefoot.  Are you tired of the same old restaurant dates and ready for something out of the ordinary?

Well here’s an idea: have a picnic.  It’s convenient, cheap, creative… and not to mention romantic! Show your significant other how much you care about them by taking them on a picnic. It’s the perfect summer date.

Here are just a few ideas to help you make your picnic date a success:

1. Find the perfect location. Depending on your personalities you may want to go to a park to watch a soccer game or find a quiet place with a beautiful view. City skylines, bodies of water, landmarks, and old architecture all make fantastic views for a picnic. Take a drive prior to the date to find a place you’ve both never been to before make it more exciting.

2. Put together easy and yummy food. Sandwiches are a good place to start, and you can easily buy premade sandwiches to take along (try to avoid mayo since it spoils quickly in the heat). Cut up fresh fruit and bring a simple homemade dessert, like cookies. Do your homework and find out what your date’s drink of choice is and surprise them with it.

3. Go around sunset. Sunsets are romantic- enough said!

4. Do an activity. Sometimes conversation is all you need, but just in case it gets awkward or boring, you can bring something to do. Some ideas of what you can bring: a kite, frisbee, shoes for a hike/walk, cards or a favorite game.

5. Bring insect repellent. There is absolute nothing romantic about leaning in for a kiss and having to swat away a fly! EcoSMART’s insect repellent will complete the date making you both happy.

These are just some ideas, but don’t forget to put your personal creative touch to it! Happy picnicking!

Written by Nicole Paladin

Wives Tale Repellents: Do They Work?

Everyone knows multiple wives tales that explain different types of food or plants that can range from having amazing curing power, to warding off the things that go bump in the night. Some of these old wives tales prescribe remedies to rid you of pesky mosquitoes. But have you ever wondered if some of them are just falsehoods, or if some of them really do work?

Which Wives Tale Works on these Pesky Guys?

Here are a couple of wives tales:

1) Garlic prevents mosquito bites: FALSE: Garlic is a favorite of old wives tales, as it seems to do everything from curing wounds to warding off both vampires and witches. Experts say that the power of garlic is not strong enough to ward of mosquitoes!

2) Taking vitamin B decreases your chance of being bit: FALSE: Although it is a great idea to take vitamins, especially since vitamin B aids in improving both the immune system and your metabolism, taking vitamin B will not help you get less mosquito bites during the summer!

3) The amount of alcohol relates to the amount of bites you receive: TRUE: A cold beer on a hot summers night, sounds about perfect but if you have one too many beers you could be receiving one too many bug bites. Alcohol causes sweat which attracts mosquitoes

Looking for a real solution to those mosquito bite blues? EcoSMART’s natural insect repellent is guaranteed to work like a charm! Not only is this repellent all natural, but it safe to use around children and pets! Although this sounds too good to be true, this isn’t a tall tale! Try EcoSMART today!

Written By: Chelsea Smith

Mosquito Mythbusters

We all know that rumors spread like wildfire. There are some things that have been believed to be true for years, when in all reality, they are nothing but myths. When it comes to mosquitoes, it’s important to know the difference between fact and fiction because these critters aren’t something to mess around with.

Some people think that citrosa plant and citronella oils keep mosquitoes away. Maybe sometimes you could get lucky and this method works out, but there is actually no research that shows that these things work 100 percent effectively in keeping mosquitoes away.

Worried about getting HIV from a mosquito bite? Worry no more. This is just a myth as well.  HIV cannot survive in a mosquito, so it cannot be transmitted through them.

If your pregnant, you definitely want to make sure to bring along some mosquito repellent if you’re going to be spending time outdoors, because truth has it that mosquitoes do actually prefer the blood of pregnant women to any other person due to their higher body temperatures that release more of the skin substances that attract mosquitoes. Just make sure to use a deet-free, all natural insect repellent like EcoSMART’s

Think you can keep mosquitoes away with bug-zapping lamps? Think again. Before spending money on a bug lamp, you should know that these won’t necessarily keep mosquitoes at bay. Although these lamps will kill mosquitoes for the most part, they will not completely stop them from coming around.

Summer is short. Don’t let mosquitoes keep you away from spending time outdoors!

By Megan Striner

Enjoy Outdoor Summer Concerts with EcoSmart

I love outdoor summer concerts. I love sitting on a grassy hill swaying to a favorite band’s song. I love tailgating in parking lots. Something about being outside just makes a concert unique.

I can remember going to an outdoor pavilion concert last summer. My friends and I spent most of our time in the grassy area with a large picnic blanket and cold drinks. As fun as it was and as entertaining as the bands were, I couldn’t stop swatting away the bugs!

We stood and sat on the blanket for most of the time, I was constantly being bit by mosquitoes. I was having such a good time that I didn’t realize how bad the mosquitoes were until the next day when my legs were red and itchy!

If you haven’t gone to an outdoor concert in a while, look up your favorite band and see if they’re playing near you before summer is over! Just remember to bring along some insect repellent. After that concert I never go to an outdoor performance without it.

Check out EcoSMART’s insect repellent. Made from an all-natural formula, you won’t even remember you put it on as you are enjoying your time outside listening to your favorite music. But the next morning you will be thankful you used it!

Written by Nicole Paladin

Stinky Socks the New Mosquito Catcher?

Although humans might not enjoy the smell of stinky socks, mosquitoes love it! The musky odor instantly attracts the mosquito and makes them attack. Researchers have found that mosquitoes are four times more likely to be attracted to the dirty sock odor than humans!

Stinky socks could be the answer to mosquito bites!

Scientists are trying to use this newly found information to make nets and traps to eliminate mosquitoes, especially in countries where mosquitoes are likely to carry infectious diseases. The traps would look like commercial beehives, but once the mosquitoes are inside a poisonous gas would instantly kill them. Not only would this new innovation help stop the annoying itchy bites we get every summer, it would also help saves millions of lives each year.

Don’t want to keep stinky sock traps lying around the house? EcoSMART’s insect repellent spray not only helps fight against pesky mosquitoes but smells great too!

Help! Bugs at the Beach!

Beach vacations are the ultimate reward.  Whether you’re on the east Coast or west, or at a back yard BBQ or a tropical paradise, there can always be disruptions to everyone’s favorite time of the year.

Sunburn can definitely ruin a vacation, so sun protection is definitely key when packing for vacation.  But even worse are mosquito bites!  These annoying bugs seem to come from nowhere, and have the ability to completely ruin one’s vacation.  But get this; mosquito bites, and all other bug bites, are entirely preventable! 

When I was packing for my Outer Banks vacation this year, I made sure to grab some EcoSMART natural insect repellent.  Not only does this bug spray have a great peppermint scent, but it is also deet-free!

So, if your kids and pets are around on vacation, this spray is safe for them as well.  To check out all of EcoSMART’s products, visit them on: http://www.ecosmart.com/products!

Written by: Rachel Yurchak