If your kids are like mine, they love to be outdoors in the summer time. From bike rides, to hikes, from picnics to building forts in the woods or fishing, they can always find something fun to do outdoors. It's great that kids do these things, but as a parent you worry about things like West Nile Virus and Lyme disease. Serious illnesses aside, you may have a child like my youngest who is the neighborhood mosquito magnet and is allergic to mosquitoes to boot.

Your first response as a parent is to go to the store and buy insect repellent only to be stopped dead in your tracks when you see all the dire warnings on the labels about toxicity and dangers to children. Which is worse? Lyme disease or poisoning by DEET?

If you don't want to have to make this choice, try making natural repellents. Many of these are highly recommended and as effective as the expensive chemical variety that you can buy in the store.

Herbal Repellents

You can buy herbal repellents at your local health food store. By spraying these on your clothes, you can repel most bugs. Some of these herbals are grapefruit seed extract, oil leaf extract, and myrhh oil. These herbals are conveniently made and packaged for you and ready to use.

The CDC recommends using Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus as a natural repellent. The CDC claims it is as effective as DEET.

If you would like to make your own, try this recipe:

Ingredients:

Lemon or orange peels

Mint, pennyroyal, or sage leaves (Do not use pennyroyal if you are pregnant)

Rubbing alcohol or witch hazel

Directions:

To make the repellent, brew a strong tea with the peels and leaves. Do this by placing the peels and leaves in a pan, cover with water and bring to a boil.

You can combine the ingredients any way you choose according to what you think smells best.

Leave the ingredients in the covered pan overnight.

Strain the peels and leaves from the "tea".

Mix the "tea" with either the rubbing alcohol or witch hazel on a one-to-one ratio.

Pour the repellent into a spray bottle and it's ready to use.

You'll find that these herbal repellents not only work as well as the commercial and toxic repellents, but smell a whole lot nicer.