I know it doesn’t seem like it, but summer is sneaking up on us.  With summer comes the bugs.  Here is a quick rundown of the usual pests and a couple of the best oils to keep them at bay.  I’ll put some recipes up later, but for now just a general list.

• Ants: Peppermint, Spearmint
• Beetles: Peppermint, Thyme
• Mosquitoes: Lavender, Lemongrass
• Flies:  Rosemary, Peppermint
• Spiders:  Lavender, Peppermint
• Roaches:  Eucalyptus, Tea Tree
• Aphids:  Peppermint, Spearmint

For me, I keep a spray bottle with about 5dr peppermint, then half water/half witch hazel, and I spray the garage on a regular basis to keep away all bugs, esp those with 8 legs.  I have planters with Citronella and Lemongrass plants on both front and back porch to keep away the mosquitoes.  Usually I limit where I plant my mint because it spreads so much, but this year I’m going natural for my fight against the bugs and planting it anywhere that I tend to get aphids. I love that I can fuse my semi-green thumb with my oil knowledge and have some nature-made insect repellent!