Insect Season

A couple of weeks ago I was ask to give a herbal talk to the ladies of the Catholic Women's Guild at the Parish I attend St Elizabeth Seton Parish in Newmarket, Ontario , Canada.
This was quite a privilege to speak to such a group of hard working ladies that do so much for the parish community.
The topic was Herbal Remedies for Spring and Summer, the positive feedback that I have received since then has touched my heart that I wanted to share a little of the talk.

Bug Bites and Stings

While I am the type of person that bugs really are not interested in, my husband is always on their radar , they seem to love the taste of him. So I have lots of practice with bites and stings.
Keeping in mind that not all remedies work for everyone these are a few of my best suggestions to try and relieve some to the discomfort if you do get a bite or sting.

1- Ice cold witch hazel is very soothing when the stinging and burning are the worst. just keep a small container in your fridge over the season, so you have it handy when you need it. A little on a cotton ball or pad will soothe quickly.
2- Undiluted lavender oil , or 5 drops each of lavender and tea tree oil mixed with olive/sunflower or almond oil (whatever carrier you have) will also help.
 After the stinging and burning has eased , I would apply a little calendula cream to the site , just to avoid any infection.

It is important to remember that some people have very strong reactions to stings ( bee/wasp or ants) and should seek medical attention if this is the case.

But the best remedy for bites and stings is prevention , which leads us to what plants you should keep around your patio and porches and gardens to keep those pests away.

Mosquito/ Wasp/ Bee and Ant bites are maddening , painful and irritating and if you get enough of them the accumulating poison in your system can definitely  make you feel ill.
Most of the products on the market today are DEET based , which over a long period of exposure is not good for your health , particularly for  young children and babies.
Luckily many new products have been introduced to the market place that have lower doses of DEET with some essential oils. You also can make your own combination of essential oils ( that your nose likes) by adding 3/4 drops of essential oil to some carrier oil ( almond/olive or sunflower) or whatever is in your kitchen.
Use this oil on your skin when you are out , or make a spray by adding your favorite blend to a little water in a spray bottle.
My top picks to keep the bugs away are eucalyptus , clove, geranium , peppermint , rosemary and citronella.
Also would be nice to have some planters of these on your patio/porch or garden.
Insects hate the smell of these plants/herbs and will stay clear, so you can enjoy your time outside this summer.

Hope that you can try some of these suggestions this year to help keep those litter buggers where they need to be not on you.