When you see an insects in your home, the first instinct is to grab a synthetic insecticide to get rid of it. Insecticides are effective when it comes to clearing those annoying bugs but they come with some side effects such as being detrimental to your health when inhaled. Another thing I find annoying is spraying the bedroom before you sleep and then waiting for the smell of the insecticide to wear off. Then there is the worry that those mosquito repellents that you plug into your socket and release small amounts of insecticide while you sleep. It makes me cringe that I am inhaling the toxins while I sleep.
Being the lover of anything organic, I decided to find a natural way to keep insects, especially fruit flies and mosquitoes, out of the house. I stumbled upon some information at a shop in Karen that gave tips on how to use essential oils to keep bugs out of your home.
Citronella
Citronella is an effective mosquito repellent. It works by masking the natural scents on our bodies that are attractive to mosquitoes. You can add a few drop s of citronella to an oil of your choice and apply this mixture to your body.
Another use of citronella is to use it to keep flies away. You do this by adding a few drops of citronella to a damp cloth and wiping the surfaces that flies like to land on.
Peppermint
After ylang ylang, this is my favourite essential oil. This is because the uses of this oil are endless. Peppermint oil is both an insecticide and a repellent. Like cintronella, dilute a few drops of peppermint oil into an oil of your choice and apply it on your body to repel mosquitoes. You can also make a mixture of peppermint oil and water an and put it into a spray bottle and spray it around your house. It will leave your house smelling minty fresh while keeping mosquitoes and flies away. Another way you can use it is by spraying a mixture of peppermint oil on a cloth and placing it where those pesky ants that show up in your kitchen like to hide to kill them. You will need to change these clothes regularly, (2-3 )times a week.
Lavender oil
You can use lavender oil as a first aid option when you are bitten by insects. You dilute lavender oil by adding a few drops into an oil of your choice. Lavender oil has antiseptic properties that help stop the spread of an infection from the insect bite. When you make a solution by mixing lavender oil with a carrier oil of your choice and water, you can spray it around your home to keep moths away
Lemon grass oil
At some point, I had an annoying infestation of fruit flies. They were everywhere in the kitchen and despite removing fruits and vegetables an d putting them in the fridge, they wouldn’t go away. When I went to the shop in Karen, they advised me to use lemon grass to deal with my fruit fly problem.
Heat about 30 drops of lemon grass oil in half a cup of water then add the mix into a spray bottle and spary it on the s;urfaces where the fruit flies like to chill.
You can buy these oils at Luscious Touch on ground floor at the Hub, Karen or at most local online shops