Insect Bites/Stings/Repellent

Essential Oils Where to Buy ​	Bites/Stings: Lavender Oil: Apply a few drops to skin several times a day or as needed. Tea Tree Oil: Apply 1 drop to skin several times daily or as needed (discontinue use if skin irritation develops). Basil, cinnamon, lavender, lemon, thyme, peppermint, sage, lemongrass (on location). Spiders/Bees: Basil, melaleuca, lavender (on location). Repellent: Insect repellent: tea tree and lemon balm sprinkled on clothing. Insect repellent: Rub fresh southernwood plant on skin. Insect repellent: Basil, melaleuca, lavender (in air vents to repel bugs & mice). Insect repellent: Mix 20 drops basil oil in a spray bottle with 2 cups water. Squirt yourself, or around window frames and doors.  Also effective to plant basil around the foundation of the house and/or patio and inside your window sills.  Spider Repellent: Add 15 drops peppermint oil to 8oz water in a spray bottle.  Spray around door frames, windows, small cracks, corners of the ceiling and bathrooms. Mosquito Repellent: Mix 5 drops lemon, 10 drops eucalyptus and 20 drops citronella oil in a spray bottle with 2 cups water.  Squirt yourself (and around the area).  Fly Repellent: Mix 25 drops mint oil into a spray bottle with 1 cup water and spray affected areas of the house.  Ant Repellent: Add 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon oil to  a spray bottle with a cup of water.  Spray affected areas of the house.  Ant Repellent: Add  1/2 teaspoon lemon oil to a spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water.  Spray affected areas of the house.
Natural/Herbal How to Use Herbs Where to Buy ​​ Healing Herbs Info	Bites/Stings: Calendula:  Rub fresh calendula/marigold flowers on the bite to relieve pain, or use a calendula cream and small dab into skin several times daily, or as needed (should contain at least 2% calendula).  Bee Stings: alkaline laundry starch or bicorbonate of soda, slices of onion or leek. Wasp stings: vinegar, slices of onion or leek. Mosquito/Gnat bites: rub with fresh plantain leaves, aloe very sap, lemon balm leaves, lemon juice or slices of cucumber or tomato.  Infusions or ointments containing any of these herbs, or sage, can also help.  If bites become infected, echinacea or tea tree cream can be effective.  Bee sting: Mix a tablespooon 1/2 full of  vinegar (either regular or apple cider) and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Apply to affected area while still sizzling.  Tick bite: Make a salve out of a few teaspoons of powdered charcoal and water. Apply to bite and cover with a cloth. Change when it becomes dry (use a clean cloth every time).  Put full strength vinegar on affected area. Rub a cut raw leek on insect bite/sting. Lay crushed mint leaves on the bite/sting. Sage ointment. Green tea. Feverfew Repellent:  Insect repellent: citronella candles when sitting outdoors. Buchu, golden seal Mosquito Repellent: Slice 3 limes and press 15 cloves into them.  Place on a plate in the area. Mosquito Repellent: Plant fresh lavender or geranium around the foundation of your house.  Ant Repellent: Place cinnamon sticks and peeled sliced garlic cloves around window tracks or holes.  Replace every 3 days until ants are gone.   Ant Repellent: Plant fresh mint around the foundation of your house.  Fly Repellent: Put bay leaves and rosemary in a bowl and place on kitchen counter, around garbage and wherever else you have flies.  Fly Repellent: Plant fresh lavender around the foundation of your house.
​​​Supplements ​Where to Buy ​​	Bromelain: 500 mg 3 times daily on an empty stomach (should contain 6,000 GDU or 9,000 MCU daily). You can also break open 2 capsules, mix powder with water to make a paste and apply to affected area. Vitamin C: 1,000 mg 3 times daily (reduce if it causes diarrhea). Quercetin: 500 mg 3 times daily 20 minutes before meals (good to take in combination with Bromelain).