It’s important to keep oneself protected against mosquitoes

Mosquito season is in full swing and, as a non-fan of bad smelling and potentially toxic commercial skeeter-repelling products, I’ve found myself, along with my family, hiding indoors at dusk. Peak feasting hours. We live in a heavily wooded neighborhood with streams and ponds. A mosquito’s dream world. When we first moved here, my husband and I swore aliens were in our midst—an eery, other-worldly baritone hum accompanied by a slow-flashing light around 1 or 2AM, disturbing our sleep just enough to make us think we were dreaming. “Did you hear that weird sound last night?” Craig asked one morning. “You heard it, too?” Eventually, we found out that it was a mosquito-control spraying truck.

While it’s important to keep oneself protected against mosquitoes, which can transmit serious disease such as West Nile virus, malaria, and eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), I can’t help but wonder… How safe are these products that we spray on our children from head-to-toe? Are there natural measures one can take to reduce mosquito population, deter them from gnawing on your arm, and possibly even keep their annoying buzz at a distance? And one question that has been nagging at my 8-year old: “Why does the world need mosquitoes?” These are just some of the questions I will address in this series about mosquitoes, which will also include my family’s first-hand experience with natural solutions. Hopefully the information will help you to navigate through the rest of your summer with fewer mosquito bites and less reliance on chemical-ridden repellents.

Full article here: Warning: Fending Off Mosquitoes May be Harmful to Your Health « I Count for myEARTH

Warning: Fending Off Mosquitoes May be Harmful to Your Health « I Count for myEARTH

Natural Mosquito Repellent

According to an article by Vanessa Vadim, environmental advice columnist for Mother Nature Network, "Every year, 500 million people are infected with mosquito-borne illnesses and at least 2.5 million die from those infections."

Mosquitoes are attracted to floral scents found in perfumes, hair products, sunscreens, moisturizers and fabric softeners. They also like potassium, which is found in meat, bananas, melons, sports drinks, milk, potatoes and tomatoes, all foods we like to enjoy in abundance for summer cookouts. Mosquitoes are also tempted by the lactic acid and carbon dioxide that our bodies produce with exercise, so lingering outside after a workout is a surefire way to attract these annoying little pests.

The good news is that you can repel mosquitos naturally by incorporating repellent plants into your landscape and by welcoming animals into your yard that eat mosquitoes. If this isn't an option for you, you can make your own personal mosquito repellent. Using unscented skin cream as a base, add a few drops of eucalyptus, cedar, geranium, peppermint, lemon grass, fennel, catnip, rosemary, tea tree, castor or soybean essential oils and apply the mixture to your skin. You can also use water or alcohol as a base, mix together with essential oils in a spray bottle and mist onto your skin. Another natural repellent? Avoid wearing dark colors. As with any product, be sure to check the label on each bottle of essential oil for directions for use.

This information provided with help from http://icountformyearth.wordpress.com

Warning: Fending Off Mosquitoes May be Harmful to Your Health « I Count for myEARTH