As it warmed up here in northern Wisconsin the mosquito population exploded! I was happy to see the dragonflies had also hatched out and were feasting. But there are a lot more mosquitoes than there are dragonflies and birds. What about us?
One of the major reasons plants make essential oils is to keep from being eaten by insects. We’ve all seen leaves carved away by plant eating insects. Some other insects, such as aphids, suck juice from leaves. We can use some of these essential oils to keep mosquitoes from sucking on us, too.
- Lavender has a fragrance that mosquitoes don’t like at all. Lavender is good for lots of things, but among them is keeping mosquitoes off our arms.
- Lemongrass is in the same genus as Citronella. Either one will deter mosquitoes, but we prefer Lemongrass. They are both big leafy plants.
- Australian plants such as Tea Tree and Eucalyptus have natural chemicals that insects find repulsive. It protects their leaves. The essential oils will protect you, too.
- Cedar trees are familiar to most of us because their wood is used in cedar chests to keep moths away. It is the essential oils in the wood that are unsavory to moths. A good place for your wool blankets.
- Galbanum is in our insect repellent to deter ticks. Actually galbanum has been used in Egypt for thousands of years as a preservative. It keeps fungus and insects away.
In addition to these Essential Oils, our Insect Repellent is made with Sunflower Oil, Jojoba Oil, Candelilla Wax and Cocoa butter. We add gluten-free Vitamin E to protect your skin. It comes in a stick, like deodorant. You can get a large size or a little pocket size to carry when you are hiking and canoeing.