SC - Insect repellants

[Sara K. Tallarovic]

Hello!  I've been lurking on the list for a while now, gathering recipes 
and cooking tips, and Q wanted to share a finding on the topic of biting 
insects.  I once happened upon a great combination of insect repelling oils 
while camping in the AnTir woods (the Cascades of Oregon to be exact).  I 
had a small collection of essential oils that I had gotten for different 
reasons...citronella oil (originally purchased both for mosquito repellant 
and to repel my cats from things I didn't want them in), and also rosemary 
oil and pennyroyal* oil, both for homemade hair conditioners.  I tossed 
them all into my camping bag since the labels had rubbed off and I didn't 
have time to open each one to find the citronella.  Our campsite had 
mosquitos as well as biting flies (deer flies, maybe?) and those 
excruciatingly annoying black flies that buzz around your head and drive 
you mad.  I dabbed a few drops of each oil on in sequence and suddenly I 
was free of bugs of ALL kinds!  The mosquitos were most likely repelled by 
the citronella (which I put on first), but it was definitely the rosemary 
and/or the pennyroyal* that seemed to best repel the flies (and they seemed 
to work best together).  The poor dog was trying to nap but was being 
harassed relentlessly by black flies, so I gave him a dab of rosemary 
between the ears and one near the tail and the next thing I knew he was 
also bug free and happily napping.  Other folks with me also tried it much 
to their relief.  If you are looking for herbal insect repellents, these 3 
oils worked quite well combined, not to mention they smelled rather nice.

*A note of caution regarding pennyroyal oil:  It is for external use 
only!  It is extremely dangerous to take the oil internally (I hear it can 
kill you), so never use it anywhere that it could be consumed, and maybe 
even be very careful about the amount used, lest it absorb in large 
quantity through the skin.  I wouldn't recommend using it on a pet or a 
small child.

Cheers!
- -Shu'la