Pests…we all have to deal with them at some point or another. They secretly enter our homes through the smallest cracks and crevices, surprising us with their presence. They get into our cabinets, our trash, our plants and our food.
We habitually grab the bug killer and start spraying away, not realizing that these commercial bug killers have detrimental effects to our health and our animal’s health, too.
There is a much safer way to repel these pesky critters without the risk of damaging our health.
Essential oils are highly effective and can be used as natural replacements for store bought bug sprays.
Here’s your A-Z guide to safely repelling creatures that “bug” you:
ANTS
Peppermint
Spearmint
Draw a line with peppermint or spearmint essential oil near the area that the ants are entering. It’s fun to watch them come up to the line and then turn around and go the opposite way. They won’t cross the line so that means they’ll stay out of your house!
APHIDS
Cedarwood
Hyssop
Peppermint
Spearmint
Mix a few drops of any of these essential oils in a small spray bottle with water. Spray on plants affected with aphids, as needed.
CATERPILLARS
Spearmint
Peppermint
Mix one of these essential oils into a spray bottle with water and spray on your plants that attract caterpillars.
CHIGGERS
Lavender
Lemongrass
Sage
Thyme
Mix one of these essential oils into a spray bottle with water and spray body before camping, walking in the woods or going to the beach.
COCKROACHES
Peppermint
Cypress
Mix 10 drops peppermint and 5 drops cypress in 1/2 cup salt water in a spray bottle. Shake well and spray where roaches live.
FLEAS
Peppermint
Lemongrass
Spearmint
Lavender
Apply 1-2 drops of any of these essential oils to your dog’s collar every day to repel fleas. Also, mix a few drops in a spray bottle with water and spray on your dog’s legs and stomach before going for walks. With cats, only use lavender.
FLIES
Lavender
Peppermint
Rosemary
Sage
Mix a few drops of any of these essential oils into a small spray bottle filled with water and spray the air frequently to repel flies.
GNATS
Patchouli
Spearmint
Mix a few drops of any of these essential oils into a small spray bottle filled with water and spray the air frequently to repel gnats.
LICE
Cedarwood
Peppermint
Spearmint
Add a few drops of any of these essential oils to your scalp when you’re shampooing to kill lice.
MOSQUITOES
Lavender
Lemongrass
Mix a few drops of either of these essential oils into a small spray bottle filled with water and spray your body frequently to keep mosquitoes away.
MOTHS
Cedarwood
Hyssop
Lavender
Peppermint
Spearmint
Add a couple of drops of any of these essential oils to your cedar blocks in your closet as an added boost to repel moths.
PLANT LICE
Peppermint
Spearmint
Mix a few drops of either of these essential oils into a spray bottle with water and spray affected areas of plants.
SILVERFISH
Eucalyptus radiata
Mix a few drops of this essential oil in a spray bottle with water. Spray where silverfish gather.
SLUGS
Cedarwood
Hyssop
Pine
Mix a few drops of any of these essential oils in a small spray bottle with water and spray where slugs are entering.
SNAILS
Pine
Patchouli
Cedarwood
Mix a few drops of any of these essential oils and spray where snails are residing.
SPIDERS
Peppermint
Spearmint
Put a few drops of either of these essential oils on a wet rag and wipe all areas where spiders like to build webs, i.e. corners of your home.
TICKS
Lavender
Lemongrass
Cinnamon
Sage
Thyme
To remove a tick, apply 1 drop cinnamon or peppermint on cotton swab and swab on tick. Then wait for it to release its head before removing from animal’s skin or yourself. To keep ticks off of you or your animal, use a few drops of any of these essential oils in a spray bottle filled with water. Spray your legs or your animal’s legs and stomach before going out.
The essential oils listed in this article are Young Living’s essential oils and have proven to be successful in these application methods.
Store bought essential oils are convenient to purchase, however you may not experience good results because of improper distillation and added ingredients, which might attract more bugs rather than repel them. Always make sure your essential oils are AFNOR/ISO certified therapeutic grade.
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