Safe & Effective Bug Spray

I have a short one for you today, but, it’s a good one!

We have been doing a fair amount of mountain biking in the forests of Central Oregon lately, and, while beautiful, they are also laden with mosquitos. The mosquitos are so bad in some areas that you don’t dare stop riding for fear of being eaten alive. Our “natural” bug spray was just not cutting it (and, for what it’s worth, the second ingredient in this spray is sodium laurel sulfate, so truly it is not natural bug spray).

In search of a natural bug deterrent spray that is both natural and actually works, I stumbled on an essential oil blend called “IBug Off.” And, at $7.95 for a bottle that will make a huge amount of spray, it’s cost effective to boot. The world of essential oils never ceases to amaze!

This essential oil does require dilution, as most do. The maker recommends diluting in witch hazel, which you can find in the first aid section of any big box store like Wal-Mart, or, in your corner drugstore for about $3. I diluted it at a rate of 4 ounces of witch hazel to 40 drops of Bug Off and store in this atomizer.

Besides the fact that it actually works, a nice side effect is that it doesn’t smell awful. It smells sort of citronella-ish (that is a key ingredient), but not overpoweringly-so.

If you live in an area where bugs are a problem, I can’t recommend this solution enough!