Bug Be--Gone

DEET is bad to the bone. B-b-b-b-b-baaaaad.

Not only for us a-dults, but certainly for babies!

(Can you say "brain damage"?
True story in some research articles.  Yikers!  And, no thank you.)

All "natural" bug spray recipes literally abound on Pinterest.

{HERE}

And some swear by Avon's "Skin-so-Soft" line.

(But who knows if this adult skincare lotion is meant for sensitive baby skin?)

The bugs have come out in full force recently,
as we have been experiencing record high temps + humidity,
a.k.a. a bug's glory day.

So, I decided to whip up a relatively small batch of a homemade, organic concoction

and gave it a go during our "Jazz in the Park" outings.

1/2 cup distilled water

1/2 cup cider vinegar

~40 + drops of your favorite essential oil

(so that you and your cute offspring don't end up smelling like a salad)

Just mix it all up and spray away!
(But because it is au natural, you must reapply it more frequently.)

I plan on pouring some into a mini spray bottle to keep in my diaper bag.

It seemed to work well!  (Either that or bugs don't like jazz music.)

(Note:  This is supposed to work wonders, especially on mosquitoes.
And we're talking the kind you encounter while eating al fresco in your backyard.

It is highly unlikely to be effective on, say, ticks or other "deep woods" insects.
So please apply OFF! generously if you're going on a camping excursion.  The benefits clearly outweigh the risks in this situation, and I do not want to be responsible for anyone getting malaria, Lyme disease, or Dengue Fever.)

If it fails, I plan to try another Pinterest recipe or just plain, old, brown Listerine.
A friend's dad swears it works wonders!

It would also be inexpensive and au natural.

(Though I'd rather smell like my "Joy" scented essential oil than brown Listerine.)

;)

Stay away skeeters, horse flies, and stinging gnats!
There are plenty more bug-free summer nights to be enjoyed.

~photos by b / image via Listerine~