Rid Yourself of Pests This Summer

How we all look forward to spring and summer! We plan excursions to look at flowers, swimming and boating, kite flying and those lovely picnics under the beautiful spreading oak tree!

This simple fact always awaits us, though: we are going to be beset by bugs. We love an evening by the pond or lake, but so do the mosquitoes!

When I was a child, I lived in a little town in Oregon where every summer, I was covered by huge welts of mosquito bites. It seemed that the more repellent I tried to use, the better those mosquitoes liked it. We used to call them Oregon Hawks.

Now there is more widespread insect eradication and spraying, but pesky summer insects such as mosquitoes, ants, wasps, yellowjackets and gnats still appear in large enough numbers to spoil an otherwise fun outing at our parks and lakes. Ticks and Lyme Disease can make us especially fearful of insect bites.

We know that mosquitoes are drawn to standing water, so if you are at a lake or pond the condition of standing water is something you can't control. Fortunately, during summer there are normally eradication processes the forest service or land owner employs. However, when the pests of summer do appear, there are many natural repellents we can employ that will also drive away other insects. These handy items are plant oils. Lemon eucalyptus, geranium, cedar, rosemary, peppermint, cinnamon and clove are all oils you can find in most natural product or health food stores. Try putting a drop on first as a test to make sure it doesn't produce an allergic reaction. While the plant oils are quite effective, you may need to reapply several times if you are out all day long. They don't normally last as long as chemical products.

A preparation like DEET can be stronger and last longer than the above natural products, however as much as 56% has been shown to enter the bloodstream, and dangerous toxic reactions can result.

Besides applying the plant oils to your body, you can drive away insects by combining them and adding them to a candle. They can be added to liquid soap and shampoo. You can soak pieces of paper or cardboard and hang it around the patio or camping area. There are, of course, Cintronella candles and others you can make or purchase which naturally contain these oils to begin with. If you wish to make your own formula of plant oils to spray on the skin, note that they must be diluted. There are often directions on the containers, or the store employee may be able to help; however, when applying directly, the general rule is one quarter ounce of repellent oil to 16 ounces of almond or jojoba oil. If spraying, try 16 ounces of vodka with the quarter ounce of repellent oil and shake well. Never try ingesting the oils.

The plant oils may not necessarily repel ticks, so if there is Lyme Disease prevalent in the area, you will probably wish to apply something stronger.

Other conditions that may draw insects include dark clothing, a fire, and scented lotions and perfumes. I once experienced the results of the insects' attraction to scents when I bought a suntan lotion that smelled like a pina colada. I thought it was a very pleasant aroma, but it drew bees like mad. I soon learned to leave any scented products off my body if I was going to be outdoors for very long. Insects are sometimes drawn to lactic acid as well, and you'll find more of them draw around you when you've been exercising, or consuming salty foods or food with high potassium levels.

Now that you know the secrets of repelling those nasty insects -- go out and enjoy that lovely lake and leave your bug fears at home!