April Showers Bring May Flowers…… But around here, May brings mosquitoes, gnats, flies, and ticks. All of the rivers are running high and there’s flooding in various areas. The reservoirs are at near capacity and there’s more snow up in the mountains that needs to melt. The flooding gives us standing water in places where it’s usually dry. The farmer’s take advantage of the river water by flood irrigating their lands. I live in the country where most of the neighbors have four legs. (horses and cattle) So the result is a ton of insects.
The county tests standing water periodically and usually finds that the mosquitoes that are infected with West Nile virus by about mid June. The county will treat large areas of standing water with larvacide and insecticide. They have a fogging truck that goes around at night spraying around houses and buildings. We have called in private companies to spray around our house in addition to the county’s fogging. We try to eliminate standing water around the house, but still we get tons of mosquitoes.
Normally, every time you walked outside you would have to spray yourself with bug spray containing such great chemicals as DEET. (chemical name, N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) We tried multiple kinds of insect repellents….. some even with “botanical” ingredients. The result, we still got bit – not as much, but it only takes one bite from an infected mosquito to get West Nile virus.
A couple of years ago, we started using doTERRA’s TerraShield. In my opinion, it works better than the sprays we used to get and there’s no nasty unpronounceable chemicals in it. It even smells a lot nicer.
I have a friend that went camping a couple of weeks ago. The mosquitoes were terrible. Her husband insisted on using a well known brand of bus repellent that contained DEET. She used her bottle of TerraShield.
By the end of the weekend, he had about 20 bites and she did not have a single one. I think he may use TerraShield on the next camping trip. It even comes in a handy spray bottle. My first camping trip of the season is in 2 weeks. I plan to be bite free when I get home. But if I do get bit, here’s a quick and easy Bug Bite Relief Roller Bottle recipe.
QUICK & EASY BUG BITE ROLLER BOTTLE
- 2 teaspoons of liquid vegetable oil (jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, apricot oil, avocado oil, olive oil, or fractionated coconut oil will all work)
- 10 drops lavender essential
- 10 drops peppermint essential oil
- Empty 10 mL roller bottle (if using a roller bottle of a different size, adjust accordingly)
Mix all ingredients together in the roller bottle. Apply as needed.
TerraShield® Outdoor Blend
When it comes to outdoor protection, no defense is better than Mother Nature’s offerings.
Primary Benefits
- Acts as an effective, natural barrier.
- Can be used safely by everyone in the family.
Ingredients
Ylang Ylang Flower, Nootka Wood, Cedarwood Wood, Catnip, Lemon Eucalyptus, Litsea Fruit, Arborvitae Wood essential oils and Vanilla Bean Absolute in a base of Fractionated Coconut Oil and Tamanu Seed Oil.
Aromatic Description
Herbaceous, pungent, floral
Description
Uses
- Apply TerraShield to the legs, arms, and neck before going outdoors or diffuse on your patio.
- Take TerraShield on camping trips or to outdoor events.
- Spray TerraShield around your door, window seals, and tent.
Directions for Use
Diffusion: Use three to four drops in the diffuser of your choice.
Topical use: Apply to desired areas before outdoor activity. Reapply every few hours as needed.
Cautions
Possible skin sensitivity. Keep out of reach of children. If you are pregnant, nursing, or under a doctor’s care, consult your physician. Avoid contact with eyes, inner ears, and sensitive areas.
If you have any questions about doTERRA Essential oils, feel free to leave me a message. I’m not pushy and you never have to buy or sell anything.