All creatures great and small

Summer time is here!
 We all enjoy sitting out on our garden, alone enjoying the rays and getting some needed quiet time or with family and friends, enjoying good company, good food and cooling refreshing drinks sparkling in the rays of the sun. And of course there is nothing better than a good BBQ to make summer feel even more like summer. If we are enjoying the warmth of the sun alone or with others, we always have more company than we think we would have....insects of all shapes and sizes :-)
Insects are fabulous little creatures who are good for our garden and plants and who all have an important job to do, but if like me you have an allergy to certain ones or just cant cope with insects crawling around you, then what should we do? Obviously it is absolutly unneccesary to harm them but we can keep them at a distance we are comfortable with, without harming or causing them stress and giving ourselves peace of mind :-)
There are many vegan insect repellents you can buy of the internet from sprays, soaps to candles but if like me you like to 'have a go' at making your own here's a natural insect repellent recipe that I found which works pretty well......

• 10-25 drops (total) of essential oils
• 2 tablespoons of a carrier oil or alcohol

The essential oils that work well against biting insects (mosquitoes, flies, ticks, fleas) are:

• cinnamon oil (mosquitoes)
• lemon eucalyptus or regular eucalyptus oil (mosquitoes, ticks, and lice)
• citronella oil (mosquitoes and biting flies)
• castor oil (mosquitoes)
• orange oil (fleas)
• rose geranium (ticks and lice)

Safe carrier oils and alcohols include:

• olive oil
• sunflower oil
• any other cooking oil
• witch hazel
• vodka

Mix the essential oil with the carrier oil or alcohol. Rub the natural insect repellent onto skin or put in a spray bottle and spray on skin or clothing, using care to avoid the eye area.Re-apply after about an hour or after swimming or exercise. Any unused repellent can be stored in a dark bottle, away from heat or sunlight. You can also combine the oil with aloe vera gel to make more of a 'lotion' you can rub on your skin.

Different insects are repelled by different oils, so you'll get a more effective repellent if you combine a few different insect-repelling natural oils. If you are making large amounts of insect repellent, a good rule to remember is to mix the repellent so it's 5-10% essential oil, so mix 1 part essential oil with 10-20 parts carrier oil or alcohol.
( The essentials oils don't mix with water, so you'll need to add them to other oils or to alcohol. It's important to use an oil or alcohol that is safe for your skin. Also, don't go overboard with the essential oils. The oils are potent and could cause skin irritation or another reaction if you use too much. If you are pregnant or nursing, do not apply an insect repellent, natural or otherwise, until after you've gotten it cleared by your physician.)

The sun makes all creatures great and small come out and want to have fun so lets have fun together.HAPPY SUMMER TO ALL :-)