“Bugs never bug me”, said someone once, sitting in his or her cozy apartment with windows closed and the air conditioner running low. Alas! Not everyone is blessed with a bug-free life. Bug and insects are those annoying little creatures that should not be taken lightly. Bug bites can last for a few minutes or for a few hours; and, the bites can be slightly annoying or mind-numbingly painful. The pain also depends on the pain threshold of individuals. Bugs can be found anywhere and everywhere – in furniture, clothes, beds, upholstery, floors, and curtains, not to mention the world outside of your cozy house. Bug bites most often do not cause infections but in some cases, it may result in infections, and if left untreated can gradually spread and may get contagious.
If only there was a natural solution to treat bug bites and drive away the bugs.
There is a one-stop solution for both the bug-related problem and that solution is called essential oils. These aromatic plant oils have become a popular alternative treatment in treating bug bites and driving away (or killing) the bugs.
For example, the essential oils for bee sting swelling remedy can also be used to drive away ants. And it is not just mere practice that tells us that essential oils can drive away bugs, there is ample evidence-backed proof. Few researchers have been conducted in the field of essential oils for bug and insect repelling.
Now, if you have checked out the list of essential oils then the next obvious question would be, “which essential oils to purchase for repelling bugs?” There are a few essential oils that are known for their insect and bug-repellent properties. One can buy Gya Labs Essential Oils for getting relief from bug bites and for driving away the bugs roaming around the house freely or hiding in corners.
Before we proceed further into essential oils, let’s talk about bugs a little bit more. Bugs is a broad term, let’s know about all the bugs when we loosely use the term bugs. Some of the bugs or insects are: –
· Cockroaches
· Beetles
· Bedbugs
· Ticks
· Flies
· Ants
· Bees
· Fleas
· Lice
· Earwigs
· Common fruit flies
· Centipedes
· Gnats etc.
Some of these bugs or even pests do not bite or cause physical pain, but they do harm mental peace because, well, they are pests. These bugs are difficult to get rid of once they infest the indoors. Pesticides and insecticides laden with harmful chemicals have to be used to drive away the pests. And to combat the bites and prevent infections lotions, creams and ointments with antiseptic and antihistamine properties must be used, which are again made with chemicals.
Now, let’s get back to the crème de la crème essential oils. So, which are these oils that ward off bugs and provide relief from their bite?
Essential Oils For Bug Bites
In ancient times some plants were burned in the evening so as to drive away pests. In modern times these plants have been researched and their abilities to drive away bugs ratified. The aroma and compounds in the essential oils can also drive out bugs hiding in the deep corners of the room. However, the essence of essential oils may drive out the bugs and kill some of it, but others may survive as the effect of the aroma fades away. Hence, regular use of oils is a must to get good results.
Thyme Essential Oil
What makes this oil special? This oil has the active ingredient thymol and is extracted from the Thymus vulgaris species of a flowering plant. Thyme has been used for ages to drive away bugs and is also used as an ingredient in insecticides. Research has found that using thyme oil adversely affects the nervous system of the bugs.
Ginger Essential Oil
Ginger oil or ginger paste has a pungent aroma that repels bugs. In several ancient cultures, pieces of ginger were spread across the house to drive out ants and pests.
Palmarosa Essential Oil
The essential oil of palmarosa oil has the acyclic monoterpenoid geraniol. Research has shown that geraniol was effective in repelling cockroaches. Hence the oil is used to drive out other bugs as well. research was conducted in the year 2014 which analyzed the effect of the geraniol-based essential oil and a market-bought insecticide in driving out bugs. There was no significant difference between both. So, it is better to use natural essential oil in driving bugs than using expensive chemical products.
Citronella Essential Oil
Extracted from the Asian grass plant Cymbopogon nardus, citronella essential oil or its plant is used to repel mosquitoes. The oil also has antifungal properties that would soothe the irritation on the skin due to bug bites and mosquito bites. Citronella oil is also used as an ingredient in fumigants that drive out bedbugs.
Clove bud Essential Oil
Clove oil contains eugenol which is a phenol compound. A study done in 2020 concluded that the constituents in essential oils can be formulated to make botanical insecticide items. When the compound eugenol was exposed to bedbugs, it eliminated most of it.
Bergamot Essential Oil
The strong aroma of bergamot can drive out bugs hiding in unreachable parts of the house and other premises. The oil contains carvacrol or cymophenol. A study conducted in 2019 found that carvacrol was most effective in driving out bugs when used in a fumigant. The effect of carvacrol in killing bugs is not definitively proven, but it does drive out the bugs.
Oregano Essential Oil
Oregano oil has antiseptic and insecticidal properties that make it the ideal oil for driving out bugs and protecting the body from getting infections. It has good mosquito repelling properties due to the presence of the active ingredients carvacrol, thymol, and alpha-terpinene.
Rosemary Essential Oil
The oil obtained by steam distilling the flowers and buds of the plant Rosmarinus officinalis has insect-repelling properties. However, diffusing the oil in the hose to repel insects can cause side effects in patients with high blood pressure. Hence exercise caution.
How To Use Essential Oils To Repel Bugs
Buy a spray bottle and mix essential oil or oils, rubbing alcohol, and water. Shake the bottle every time you use to mix the ingredients thoroughly. The essential oil and alcohol evaporate quickly, so they should be sprayed at regular intervals. You should blend two or more essential oils for better results.
How To Use Essential Oils For Bug Bite Relief
Add one or two drops of essential oil to a tablespoon of carrier oil and rub the mixture on the part of the skin directly on the bite area. The antiseptic properties of the oil prevent any infection and the soothing nature of the oil subdues the pain.