Summer is my favorite season because I’m a leo. Hello birthday month! But while the shining sun and lazy afternoons are glorious, there’s one part of the dog days I can’t handle: The bugs. No matter where you live, you’ve got some creepy crawlies irritating the heck out of you. Out here in the desert they happen to have eight legs and bite or sting. Yikes right? What’s a girl to do, short of dousing herself in deet? If you’re trying to lessen your chemical usage, you may feel like you’re out of luck. But you’re not. Turns out there is a more natural option.
This lavender spray by Victoria’s Lavender repels bugs using aloe, peppermint, catnip, eucalyptus, citronella, lemongrass and more. I found it while searching for a lavender spray for my bed to keep scorpions away. Yep, you read that right. Scorpions. In the desert, no matter if you use a pest guy (because you have to), you can still find nasty stinging bugs in your bed. Turns out they can climb into your sheets. Way to make a girl paranoid before going to sleep, right? I was desperate to find a way to keep them away from me and my snoring dog. Then I found it: lavender! It turns out scorpions and other bugs despise the scent.
I now have a nightly ritual where I check my sheets and then spray every inch of my bed and under the pillows. This isn’t just for those demonic stingers, but also for spiders, mosquitoes, and anything else that bites. There’s nothing worse than waking up with a bug bite! In my old New York apartment, I could never leave my windows open in the summer because blood-thirsty mosquitoes would fly in. This spray will help keep you from being a bug buffet.
Lavender can also repel spiders as well (as do peppermint and citronella, also in this spray) so that giant tarantula I saw the other day hopefully will stay far, far away. Guys, living in the desert is no joke. Eucalyptus, citronella, catnip, and lavender all repel mosquitoes.
My caveat is that I haven’t worn it while in a swarm of skeeters (we don’t have that many in this ultra dry heat, but monsoon season is coming this way, so I’ll be spritzing like a maniac). The lavender has prevented me from getting bit by all the many insects and spiders that seem to creep into my house these days, despite our best efforts. Apparently, we’re right in the middle of every spider’s mating season, lucky us. Bonus: my dog doesn’t mind the spray on the sheets, though I don’t spray her. (Check with your vet before you spray your pet with anything, including essential oils!)
The spray doesn’t irritate my skin, smells delicious, and when I’m surrounded by it at night, helps me relax to go to sleep. Next time you go camping, spray that sleeping bag and tent.
Victoria’s Lavender is an organic lavender farm in Oregon which makes everything from face scrubs to sachets. I like to put lavender bags in my drawers and closets to keep moths and other bugs out of my clothes. No more munched on clothes or weird surprises in a dresser drawer. Sure beats the smell of chemical moth balls!
While you may never get rid of using deet completely, this spray is a good start. At least for when you’re home and still getting feasted on. My bite free nights are much more relaxing now.
Victoria’s Lavender Spray, $9 to $20 available here. Also in candle form!
