How to Make Your Own Herbal Insect Repellents

It’s summer time and that means BUGS!  I dislike bugs and they drive my dogs,cats and horses crazy.

We have something to drive them crazy too! Horses do best with an oil based rub. You can also use the same oil based natural insect repellent.

Natural Repellent for Horses

Infuse together in a canola or soybean oil

1 oz  each of crushed rosemary, thyme, lemongrass, catnip, basil, bay leaf and crushed cloves

(to infuse add 3 cups of oil to a pan or crock pot and simmer on low for about 1 hour, Let sit 24 hours and then strain out the herbs.) Apply rub to horses around ears, neck, jaws, legs.  Apply to humans on the arms, neck, legs, exposed skin.

Quick Hints

Lemon Balm or a yarrow tea can be misted on to children to help repel mosquitoes

Put bay leaves in your cupboard to repel roaches & moths.

Lavender sachets will help to repel moths . Patchouli sachets will also do the same thing.

Recently the EPA has approved several natural products as registered insect repellents. Natural bug repellents use essential  oils to battle buggy  insects. Citronella, a pungent grass from Southeast Asia is a common ingredient. Other plant oils – including cedarwood, eucalyptus, lemon grass and peppermint – help provide a wider range of protection.

A drop of pennyroyal essential oil on your dogs collar can help repel fleas. Don’t go overboard because your dog’s sense of smell is 50 times stronger than yours. You don’t want to drive your dog crazy with it.

Flea Repellent Pillows

• 2 parts pennyroyal
• 1 part thyme
• 1 part wormwood

Herbs may be cut or whole; construct a pillow for your pet to sleep on and then stuff it with the pennyroyal, thyme, wormwood

This makes a nice gift for those favorite dogs in your life. These herbs help to repel fleas naturally and without harsh chemicals.

Easy Insect repellent lotion

Add to  8ozs of  light unscented skin lotion

15 drops of citronella essential oil, 15 drops of eucalyptus essential oil and   10 drops of patchouli essential. Mix up well and then apply to exposed skin.

Get your herbs and oils at a place you can trust!

Starwest Botanicals not only utilizes their own milling and packaging operations for all organic herbs and bulk spices, they also conduct quality control testing on each and every product in their own laboratory.

With attention like that, you can be sure you will receive only the highest-quality organic herbs, dried herbs, organic spices, therapeutic essential oils and all natural products when you place an order with Starwest Botanicals.