Summer first aid: natural ways to tell bugs to bug off, flies to be gone and bees to flit away - The Herbalist

Vegetarian Times, June, 1997 by Sally Eauclaire Osborne

Don't let the bugs bug you this summer -- or poison ivy, burns, sunburn, scrapes, lumps or bumps. Tried and true herbal remedies with colorful histories and quick-acting results are as close as your kitchen cabinet or local natural food store.

BUZZ OFF, BUGS

Want mosquitoes to buzz off, flies to fly away and bees to be gone? People in the market for insect repellents quickly learn that there are as many possible repellents as there are bugs,

Next to the ready-made herbal insect repellents at the market, the most popular choices are little bottles of essential oils, particularly those of peppermint, lemon, citronella, eucalyptus, lavender, rosemary, tea tree, basil, geranium and sage. The stronger the odor, the faster the bugs hightail it away. Whether dabbed on like perfume, mixed into massage oil and rubbed on the body or diffused into the air, the higher the quality of oil, the more effective the repellent.

Most pure essential oils can be applied directly to the skin. The exceptions are basil, cinnamon, lemon, lemongrass, peppermint and thyme, which can be irritating unless first diluted with a carrier oil, such as almond, coconut, olive or sesame oil. However, if you're not sure of your oil's quality -- low price is an indicator of low quality and the word fragrance in the ingredient list tells you the product is adulterated -- be sure to dilute the essential oil to avoid skin irritation.

"There are a lot of adulterated essential oils out there," warns Penny King, an herbalist from Austin, Texas, who has led many trips to the rain forest on behalf of the Austin, Texas-based American Botanical Council. King also cautions the pregnant women should avoid using the oils of basil, clary sage, hyssop, juniper, marjoram, myrrh or sage because of active ingredients that may be toxic to the fetus in excessive amounts. Everyone should be careful not to swallow or get essential oils in the eye. These highly concentrated oils can make you ill when taken internally and can also be quite irritating if they get into your eyes or mouth.

Though essential oils are effective, the more so if applied frequently, King says she has yet to find any bug formula -- herbal or pharmaceutical -- that works against all bugs all of the time. Her many trips to the rain forests of Peru, Belize, Costa Rica and other Central and South American countries have provided her with a number of novel but effective (temporary) solutions to the "bugs begone" problem, including some not likely to make a hit with Americans, such as reaching into a termite's nest and snatching a handful of the critters to rub on the arms.

According to King, "The best thing is wearing long sleeves and two layers of clothing." To protect what little bare skin remains exposed, King makes a formula she's nicknamed "Bug Away Juice." It includes the essential oils of lavender, lemongrass, citronella and just a little patchouli, all mixed in cheap vodka for alcohol extraction of the active ingredients and distilled water. The exact proportions do not matter. King prefers using "bug away" as a spritzer. "It's cooling and wonderful," says she, but the trick is to apply it often, as with all bug sprays.

Keep in mind that prevention works best. Mosquitoes and other voracious bloodsuckers are attracted to bare arms, legs and chests, strappy sandals, loud floral prints, sweet perfumes, hair spray, shiny jewelry and the color blue. They don't like thick socks and shoes, tucked-in pant's legs, long, cuffed sleeves and the camouflage colors of white, tan and light green.

Mosquitoes also prefer sweet-smelling people who consume a lot of sugar, alcohol, fruits and juices. Garlic breath and body odor is said to be a major turnoff to these tiny vampires. Brewer's yeast supplements or extra vitamin B complex pills (taken up to the level that causes bright-yellow urine) also help produce body odors that bug bugs and some people, as well. Other common sense measures include not camping near wet, marshy areas, not pitching your tent on or by anthills and so forth.

TAKING THE BITE OUT OF BUG BITES

If the bugs bite anyway, the right remedy may well be right at your feet -- mud. It's famous for pulling out and absorbing noxious toxins. Although packaged Bentonite or green clays from your health food store are the purest and therefore the safest, ordinary mud can do in a pinch. Witch hazel, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, pure vanilla extract and gel from an aloe vera plant are common household remedies that are very soothing to bug-distressed skin. Aromatherapy practitioners recommend the scents of lavender, bergamot and tea tree oil to soothe and calm the spirit of those who have suffered bug attacks. Tincture of echinacea can be an itch- and pain-relieving godsend for people who've been cruelly mauled by mosquitoes, chiggers, spiders and other creepy crawlies. "You need to take it both internally and externally," says Daniel Gagnon, owner of Herbs Etc. in Santa Fe and the author of Liquid Herbal Drops in Everyday Use (Botanical Research and Education Institute, 1996). "If I had one herb to be stuck with on the trail, I'd take echinacea. I've seen badly bitten areas of skin healed in a just a day."