We love hosting outdoor parties and BBQs but they can be a real pest if they attract the wrong kind of guest. We want you to enjoy your outdoor area, so here are some environmentally friendly tips to keep bugs away from your barbie.
1. Catnip for Cockroaches
To keep cockroaches away from your BBQ, scatter bay leaves or catnip in the problem area. You can also make catnip tea, by placing catnip in some boiling water and then pouring the tea into a spray bottle to use as needed. Catnip is an organic insect repellent and will keep cockroaches away without killing them. Garlic and cucumber are also known to keep roaches away – but we’d stick to putting them in your salad.
2. Say No to Scented Candles
Wasps and bees are attracted to fragrance so try and avoid having scented candles or room sprays around your outdoor living area.
3. Coins in a Bag for Flies
The most simple and cost effective way to keep flies away! Fill a Ziploc bag with three or four coins. How does it work? The fly has a complex system of thousands of simple eyes that don’t move or focus. Flies base their movement by light and the refracted light that comes through the water and off the coins confuses the fly causing him to move elsewhere. Some say this technique is nothing more than an old wives' tale but we definitely think it’s worth a try!
4. Have a GnT
Tonic water contains quinine which repels mosquitoes. Be sure to drink lots of these on a muggy day if mosquitoes are around. Okay, so you don’t have to pour gin in there – but it wouldn’t hurt.
5. Homemade Bug Spray
DEET (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) is the main ingredient of insect repellent which repels mosquitoes rather than killing them. Although effective, DEET is highly toxic and bad for the environment. We suggest trying out this recipe for home made bug spray instead.
Fresh or Dried Herbs Bug Spray Ingredients:
• Distilled water• Witch hazel or rubbing alcohol• Dried herbs: peppermint, spearmint, citronella, lemongrass, catnip, lavender, etc. I recommend using at least one herb from the mint family.
READ: 7 ways to control Colorado bugs and beetles
How to Make Bug Spray From Fresh or Dried Herbs:
• Boil 1 cup of water and add 3-4 TBSP of dried herbs total in any combination from the above. I use 1 TBSP each of peppermint, spearmint, catnip and lavender, and also throw in a couple of dried cloves.• Mix well, cover and let cool (covering is important to keep the volatile oils in!)• Strain herbs out and mix water with 1 cup of witch hazel or rubbing alcohol. Store in a spray bottle in a cool place (fridge is great because then its nice and cool!)• Use as needed. Added bonus: it smells great and is very refreshing to the skin!
Visit Wellness Mama for more insect repellent recipes.
Have you got some environmentally friendly tips to keep bugs away? Share this post along with your ideas and spread the word on how to keep your outdoor area bug free.
