Do you have concerns about all the chemicals we're using everyday?
We do.
As most of you know, we try to be as organic as possible here on the farm. We purchase our dog food from Muenster Milling, just up the road in Muenster, TX. A 4th generation, 90 year old, family owned Texas business, they use locally sourced, natural ingredients in their products. (Click here to see more about why we choose them, and to save 30% on your first order!)
When we plant, be it our garden, a spring or fall plot for our goats, new trees, or anything else, we follow strict organic principals. (We encourage you to tune in the Howard Garrett, the Dirt Doctor every Sunday morning from 8-11a on 660 AM out of DFW if you want to hear more about organic gardening!)
And when it comes to pesky insects, we do the same. We try to avoid unnatural chemicals at all costs. Fire ants for example…we have an amazing organic recipe that works! I’ll write on this down the road, but feel free to email me (jeff@lostcreekdoodles.com) if you’d like the formula!
What about MOSQUITOS?
First, here’s an interesting article on how and why mosquitos bite, and why some people get stuck more than others => click here.
There are experts on both side of the “deet” debate. Deet is of course the active chemical in most mosquito repellent. The EPA still says that it’s safe, for adults and for children. But in recent years, even the government has begun to suggest alternatives for the first time. Click here to read about Picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus.
I’m not totally sure we know what to believe anymore, so our logic is that if we can use something that’s natural, and it’s fairly effective, it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Better to be safe...
We definitely encourage you to do the research and try some of the most recent suggestions. The oil of lemon eucalyptus mosquito repellent is especially intriguing to me and we’ll be trying it. Click here for a link to a good option on Amazon.
Here's the ORGANIC recipe we use for now:
We keep these small spray bottles full, and handy. I keep them near the front door, laundry door, in my shop and in my truck. Apply this all-natural mix liberally anytime you’ll be outside when mosquitos are present and it really helps! (Click the blue links above to see the products we use.)
This is not AS effective as deet in our experience. But, it smells better, we don’t experience any unpleasant feelings on our skin and we’re not worried about chemicals. It won’t last as long as standard repellents either, so keep it handy and be prepared to apply it every couple hours. BUT…it works!
This recipe also came from the Dirt Doctor, Howard Garrett. And keep in mind that mosquitos, like all other organisms, ADAPT! Quite literally, and amazingly, they may get used to whatever repellent you’re using. So it might be wise to switch to the oil of lemon eucaluyptus after a few weeks, or perhaps investigate other alternatives.
Hope this information helps some. We’d love your input below if you have any other ideas for pests or if you have another organic mosquito repellent! Be sure to watch for future posts on this subject. I plan to write about things you can do to help keep mosquitos off your property, or at least limit it as much as possible. Remember, dogs get HEART WORMS from mosquitos, so it’s always wise to prevent them as much as possible!
