20 Non-Toxic Natural Homemade Mosquito, Ant

& Tick Repellents By: Jennifer Tynan

20 Non-Toxic Natural Homemade Mosquito, Ant

& Tick Repellents

Copyright 2016 ©

All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written

permission. Unauthorized reproduction of this work is

illegal. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded,

or posted on the internet without the author's

permission.

This book is not meant to take the place of medicine or

medical advice from a professional. The contents in

this book do not make guarantees in anyway and have

not been reviewed or approved by the FDA like the

commercial chemical products. No natural or over the

counter chemical bug repellants are 100% effective in

preventing bites. So, be sure to also use preventative

safety like proper clothing and securing your

environment. As always nursing, pregnant women, and

children should consult with your trusted doctor before

consuming. These are natural herbal recipes that have

been handed down from grannies and are believed by

some people to make bugs stay away.

Table of Contents Introduction

Chapter 1 – How to keep Mosquitoes and Ants Out of

Your House

• Ants, Mosquitoes, Tick: Prevention First

Chapter 2 – Benefits of Using Natural & Homemade

Products

Chapter 3 – Toxic Chemicals in Commercial Products

Chapter 4 – 10 Recipes for Natural and Homemade

Mosquito Repellents

• Natural Mosquito Repellent Spray

• Essential Oil Blends

• Lavender Mosquito Repellent

• Mosquito Repellant: The Kitchen Grab

• Clove & Thyme

• Neem & Jojoba Bug Away

• The Repellant Bomb

• Catnip, Mint, & Citronella

• Garlic & Vinegar

• Blazing Bug Spice

Chapter 5 – 10 Recipes for Natural and Homemade

Ant Repellent and Killers

• The Marigold Solution

• The Traditional Peppermint

• Tea Tree Oil Spray

• Jam Ant Bait

• Orange Peels to Kill and Repel Ants

• Simple and Natural Ant Repellents

• Soap, Water, and Magical Dirt

• Protein Baits

• Peppermint & Spearmint Sprigs

Chapter 6 - Tick Repellent

Chapter 7 - Bonus: 2 Recipes to Sooth Poison Ivy

• Jewel Weed Soap

• Plantain Salve

Bonus Preview of 90 Homemade Soap & Bath Recipes

If you enjoy this book and find the information useful

you may find other recipe books by Jennifer Tynan

enjoyable.

About the Author: Jennifer & Hannah Tynan are the

owners of Thermal Mermaid and artisan soap and

bath company. They spend their time making

homemade household products that focus on

chemical free or nontoxic ingredients. For more

recipes than insect “go away” sprays and salves check

out their other books or visit Thermal Mermaid

directly online.

90 Homemade Soap & Bath Recipes:

Thermal Mermaid's Artisan Soap Makers

Book

Introduction So, you’ve found yourself a bit curious about

getting your hands on mosquito and bug repellants

without the fear of spraying yourself and your child in

toxic chemicals. No one can blame you for that. How

can something that kills a living thing on contact not

possibly do some kind of damage to you or one of your

little ones. Your fear isn’t unfounded.

Natural repellents might be a better solution to

ease your worries about chemical exposure. The

recipes found in the following chapters are all natural

remedies that have been known for hundreds of years.

Each one may have different results depending on the

recipe and the type of bug you are trying to repel. Many

work well enough to keep you comfortable on a warm

summer night so that you can stay out and catch

lightning bugs with the kids or watch fireworks without

being eaten alive.

Each of these recipes are simple and can be

made at home with basic ingredients that you can find

at your Walmart or grocery store. Some ingredients can

be harvested from your back yard depending on where

you live, and a few recipes are a little more advanced.

For those who really want to get their hands into

creating a useful product, some ingredients can be

found online with a simple search.

To keep your home clean, it’s really important

that you don’t have ants always lurking around your

house. It’s important to get on top of this problem at

the peak of the season to prevent being taken over by

entire colonies. It’s a little known fact that ants and

carpenter bees can do as much to the interior of your

home as termites. The recipes in this book will not only

protect your body from biting things, but also repel

pesky ants from your living area.

Of course, before we get into the recipes you can

make to repel bugs, when it comes to ants, the best

prevention is to keep food out of their reach. This

doesn’t just mean your food. This means their food.

Aside from keeping crumbs off the counter or floor, you

need to make sure your toothpaste and mouthwash is

wiped out of the sink and off the bathroom counter top.

Nothing prevents ants like starving them. Now,

mosquitoes are another story. You are the food, so we

need to take additional precautions.

This book includes 10 ant repellant recipe ideas,

9 mosquito recipe ideas, a natural tick repellant, and 2

bonus poison ivy soothing recipes that you will find at

the end.

Chapter 1 Ants, Mosquitoes, Ticks: Prevention First

Ants:

There are many different kinds of ants. Some

bite, some do not. Some are tiny. Some are very large.

Some are black, and some are red. No matter what kind

you have. You don’t want them. They all need to go. It’s

as simple as that. What are ants attracted to? Sugar.

Ants are primarily looking for food. In fact, nearly

every ant you see wandering around has been sent out

to look for food.

What are the easiest basic ways to keeps ants out of

your cupboards?

• Spray soap water on your floor and counter tops

to keep food scents off the surface to keep them

from moving into your house.

• Crush mint leaves or mint tea leaf sprigs and use

them to kill or repel ants. Twist the leaf breaking

it so that it gives off a stronger smell and tuck it

into your cupboards and in the spaces below

your sink. Ants hate the smell of peppermint

and spearmint.

• Mint apple jelly mixed with an even part of

borax can be left on the counter. This will

eventually kill ants after they’ve gone back to

their nests. The sugar in the jelly will draw them.

They will eat the mixture, and the borax will

poison them soon after.

• Pouring soap directly into crevices and cracks in

your counter tops will neutralize the sticky sugar

that may draw ants into places that are hard to

clean. Ants don’t like soap and it will often act as

a barrier that they will try to avoid. Watch,

sometime, if you put liquid soap on the counter

top and watch ants walk past. They will usually

do an about face and look for a new path away

from the soap.

• Bitter cucumbers are a food that ants despise.

Cut a cucumber up to small diced pieces or

puree is into a wet slop. Leave the puree or

pieces in the corners of your cabinets, window

sills, or door ways.

• You can also destroy the whole colonies with

this simple method. Take a small pitcher of

water, a tablespoon of borax, and a cup of sugar

or honey. Soak a bag full of cotton balls in the

solution. Take a plastic cup and make holes in it

to allow the ants inside the container. Put these

cotton balls in the container. The ants may get

stuck and die inside the cup. Those who find

their way back out will carry these baits to their

colonies and the whole colony will die with the

smell of the bait or upon eating it.

Mosquitoes:

Mosquitoes are the little flying bugs that transmit

viruses and bacteria when they land on people to suck

their blood. Dengue fever and Malaria have been

afflicting the human population in devastating ways for

hundreds of years. In recent news, the Zika virus had

been ravaging the warmer South American areas by

infecting pregnant woman who have babies with a

condition that prevents the baby’s brain from

developing. This results in a live birth of a baby with

only a cerebellum and void of the rest of the brain. This

disease is transmitted through mosquitoes.

• Mosquitoes breed and stay in areas where water

is still or in places that have dirty moisture. So,

the first thing you should do to keep yourself

safe from mosquitoes is to keep your house free

from stagnant water. This means buckets laying

around with rain water that may have collected

as well as vernal pools.

• Make sure your window screens shut properly

and are fee from holes. Don’t open your house

in those summer nights without the proper

protection.

• Planting certain vegetation around your yard, in

your gardens, and set on your window sills will

help keep pesty bugs away to a degree. Beetles,

mosquitoes, and ants hate marigolds, lemon

grass, and mint. You can put these plants

around your open windows to repel bug, and

also you can border your garden with these

plant to deter the kind of bugs that will eat your

fruits, like pesky tomato grubs.

Ticks:

In the last three decades ticks have become almost

as deadly as mosquitoes. It’s true that ticks aren’t

responsible for the massive numbers that mosquitoes

have wiped out in the human population, but ask

anyone afflicted with Lyme Disease if they think it’s

just as important to prevent a tick bite as it is a

mosquito bite.

• Ticks usually don’t come to you the way

mosquitoes do. You go to them by tracking

around outside, picking them up on your

clothes, and bringing them inside.

• Ticks will suck the blood of both your children

and your dog, so check your pets after they’ve

gone for a romp in the back yard on a summer

day.

• When hiking or walking into the woods wear

loose layers that cover your skin and hang on

your body. Wear pants that cover your ankles

and tuck into your boots if you can.

• If you’ve been walking in tall grass, make sure

you thoroughly check each other for ticks. We

typically recognize a tick immediately, but the

ones that carry Lyme disease, the deer tick, are

tiny. Before it’s engorged, it’s no bigger than a

fleck of pepper. Help each other for tick checks.

The tick on the left is the deer tick, known for

transmitting Lyme disease. The tick on the right is the

common dog tick.

Chapter 2 Benefits of Using Natural & Homemade

Products

Natural medicine has been a first line of defense

in the home for centuries. It makes far more sense to

make an attempt at healing minor problems than to

run to a doctor for every bump and bruise. Natural

medicine was often the only resource over the years for

people in rural areas. Everything from the common

cold to high blood pressure have been known to be

eased by household remedies and care.

Reasons why you might consider natural

remedies:

• As long as you don’t have any known allergies,

natural remedies don’t have any harmful side

effects. Pharmaceutical drugs have been known

to have adverse effect in some patients and

sometimes unexpected by the person expecting

to become well.

• Some herbal medicines utilize the body’s

natural healing process by providing vitamins

that strengthen the immune system, or provide

nutrients to someone who may be lacking their

vitamins or minerals.

• Home remedies are often cost effective. Most

things you can make to keep the nasties away

are ingredients you can pick up on your next

grocery stop. You also can get access to herbal

remedies over the counter and don’t need to rely

on permission from a pharmacist to use them.

• Natural remedies are widely understood. Many

of these solutions are things that have been used

for hundreds of years. There is very little

unpredictability in mixing mint oil with ants.

The ants will invariably turn around and walk in

the other direction, and then you can wipe the

oil off your table. We know this because it

worked in the 1930’s as well as in the 1730s.

Chapter 3 Toxic Chemicals in Commercial Products

All “over the counter” insect repellents contain

chemicals and pesticides. Let’s talk for a moment about

the most common and more feared chemical that we

find on the store shelves in bug sprays.

DEET - N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET)

This is the most common and the most effective

product in bug spray. For decades this has been a topic

of controversy that was made popular in the 1950’s by

environmentalist Rachel Carson in her book Silent

Spring. Before this time, DEET was widely sprayed

over farm crops and was the chemical that single

handedly saved millions of people in equatorial regions

from Malaria. Rachel Carson claimed that the neuro

toxicity damaging people by having it exposed to the

water supply was irrevocably dangerous. Her study led

to the banning of DEET in the United States and in

many places in the world.

Even more recently Dr. Abou Donia, a Duke

University pharmacologist, found that “rats treated

with an average human dose of DEET (40 mg/kg body

weight) performed far worse than control rats when

challenged with physical tasks requiring muscle

control, strength and coordination.” And “neurons to

die in regions of the brain that control muscle

movement, learning, memory and concentration.” This

is a quote found at Duke.edu

How does DEET hurt adults and children today

if it’s not in the water supply? DEET can be absorbed

topically. Some studies show that up to 56 percent of

DEET can be absorbed through the skin and of this, 17

percent can wind up in the blood stream. Children are

known to more readily absorb chemicals through their

sensitive skin. Other ways DEET enters the body is

through inhalation or eye contact. The controversy

comes into play when we look at the number of people

affected by DEET from toxicity compared to the

massive numbers of people saved from disease.

Today DEET is found in small quantities in your

bug spray and thought to be harmless in these

amounts, but there are very strict warnings about not

putting this on your children. When deciding for

yourself whether or not you want this chemical on your

skin. Think about the area you are in. Is the area a high

risk for Lyme disease or other types of bacteria

transmitted through the blood from a bite. If so, you

may want to use a strong chemical to protect you.

However, if you are in a place where there are not many

dangerous diseases threatening you and you want to

avoid the irritation of a bite, you might want a more

natural solution.

Remember, when you use chemical bug spray,

you are putting something on your skin that

kills some life on contact.

Chapter 4

10 Recipes for Natural and Homemade

Mosquito Repellents

1. The Basic Recipe - Our first “mosquito be

gone” spray is based on essential oils that these

pests hate.

• 2 ounces of boiled water

• 30 drops of Citronella Oil

• 30 drops of Peppermint Oil

• 2 ounces of witch hazel

• 10 drops of Tea Tree Oil

• 1.5 ounces of Vodka

• 1 ounce of Jojoba Oil

Directions: Take a spray bottle that holds at least 4

oz. of liquid. Add the water, vodka, and witch hazel.

Next, add the jojoba oil and shake well. Then, add your

essential oils and shake again. Spray this mixture

immediately onto your skin or clothes. Keep the

mixture out of direct sun light, and away from extreme

temperatures. You will need to reapply every few

hours. Make sure to shake well every time before you

spray. The water and oils will separate over time. This

is ok, and will not hurt your mixture. The water is

added to get a more even spread across your skin and

fabrics. So in order for it to work best you will need to

shake well.

2. Blend number 2 - There are a handful of

essential oil blends that pack a wallop on bugs.

• Rosemary oil (12 drops)

• Lavender oil (12 drops)

• Lemon Eucalyptus oil (40 drops)

• 4 ounces of witch hazel

• Cedar wood oil (12 drops)

Directions: With a small cosmetic spray bottle, mix

all of your essential oils. Add the witch hazel and shake

well. Apply this to your skin and clothing. Spritz on

your neck and head. It is safe for your face as well. Not

all essential oils are safe for pets. Make sure you check

with your vet before rubbing oils on your dog or cat.

What is harmless to humans is not always harmless to

your pet.

3. Lavender Vanilla Mosquito Repellent - is

the most popular recipe because of its pleasing

fragrance to people and repellent qualities to

those pesky “no see ems”. Many essential oils

can have a strong pungent or sterile smell. Many

of these can be expensive. Make sure when you

purchase an oil that you’ve never smelled before

you purchase it in person or in a small amount

if you are ordering it online.

• 15 drops of Lavender essential oil

• 4 Tbsps. of real vanilla extract

• ¼ cup of lemon juice

• 1 cup of boiled water

Add these ingredients into a cosmetic spritz

bottle and shake well. Make sure the mixture is shaken

completely before each use. You can apply directly to

your skin and clothes, but avoid direct contact with

your eyes.

4. Mosquito Repellent: The Kitchen Grab –

Another option with easy to grab kitchen

supplies.

• 6 ounces of apple cider vinegar

• 6 ounces of boiled water

• 2 drops of Castor oil

• 10 drops of Cinnamon Oil

• 15 drops Eucalyptus oil

• 15 drops Citronella oil

• 10 drops of Lemongrass oil

This is another easy recipe. This time our recipe

is a little more oil heavy. The scent will be strong, so

with this recipe you can spray it into a wash cloth, and

drape it over the backs of your outdoor patio chairs.

This way your guests can have the benefit of bug

protection without the need spray everyone down. To

make this recipe add your liquids and oils in a spray

bottle and shake well. Oils and water can separate. Just

shake well before each use.

5. Clove and Thyme recipe for mosquitoes and

bugs that fly (and bite!)

• 4 drops of Thyme Oil

• 8 drops of Lemongrass

• 16 ounces of rubbing alcohol

• 3.5 ounces of whole cloves

• 3.5 ounces of sweet almond oil

This recipe will not be made as quickly as the

other recipes. You will have to give yourself a few

days to create in infusion of the clove as it needs to

steep into the carrier liquid. Usually, we use oil to

create a tincture, but in this case, you will soak all

of the cloves in the 16 ounces of rubbing alcohol. Let

this soak for four days, stirring every morning and

evening. After 4 days, strain the alcohol into a spray

bottle and add the oil Shake well before use. Spray

onto skin or clothing.

If you are camping, it may be worth it to make

up a big batch of this natural insect repellent. It can

be used in several different ways.

• Put a few drops on a paper towel and place it

near your pillow at night.

• Put a few drops on a ribbon or paper strip

and hang them around the deck, tent, cabin,

or window.

• Use in combination with your regular lotion

and rub onto skin before your trip. Put a few

drops of essential oil blend with three

teaspoons of coconut oil, olive oil, or

grapeseed oil or other regular lotion.

6. Neem and Jojoba Oil Bug Away. Neem oil

is a vegetable oil that is pressed from the seeds

of a tree. Trees and wood is a natural

antimicrobial and repellent. Jojoba is called oil,

but is, in fact, a wax. This is a luxurious oil that

moisturizes the skin beautifully. If you don’t

have any jojoba oil on hand you can substitute

pure Vitamin E which has a similar consistency.

• 2 tbsp. of Vodka

• 2 tbsp. of Grapeseed oil

• 2 tbsp. of Jojoba oil

• .5 ounce of Eucalyptus oil

• 5 ml Neem Oil

• 2 ml Liquid Soap (organic)

• 1L Distilled Water

Add the water into a spray bottle first. Then, add

all the other ingredients. Screw the top on the spray

bottle and shake well. You can use this on clothes

and skin. Avoid contact with eyes, sensitive places,

or broken skin. The alcohol in the vodka may cause

stinging if rubbed in the eyes.

7. The Repellent Bomb – Here are all the

essential oils that are known to chase away the

cooties. If you have tried any of these other

recipes with hit or miss luck, you can always

make a spray with all the known essential oils

that are known to work.

• 20 drops of Citronella oil

• 20 drops of Eucalyptus oil

• 20 drops of Tea Tree oil

• 20 drops of Peppermint oil

• 20 drops of Cypress oil

• 20 drops of Rose Geranium oil

• 20 drops of Bergamot oil

• 20 drops of Lemon oil

• 20 drops of Cinnamon oil

• 16 ounces of witch hazel

Combine witch hazel with oil of choice. In this case you

can use as many or as few as you like. Subtract 3 ounces

of witch hazel for every oil you want to omit. Mix in

essential oils. Combine thoroughly. Rub or spray the

natural insect repellent onto skin or clothing, using

care to avoid the sensitive eye area.

8. Bug repelling essential oils Catnip, Mint,

and Citronella – This is also harmless for your

pet so if you happened to spray down the

counter with this oil mixture and see your cat

wallowing on its back like a crazy stoner, you can

laugh at him and not worry.

• 3oz Vodka or Witch Hazel/Distilled Water

combo

• 30 drops of Citronella Essential Oil

• 10 drops of Catnip Essential Oil

• 10 drops of Mint Essential Oil

• 3 drops of Thyme oil

• 1 tsp of lemon juice

• 1 cup of boiled water

For 3oz of distilled water or witch hazel use about

40 drops of essential oil, place in spray bottle, shake

and have at it. Remember, you need to re-shake the oil

and water each time you use it. For a good

aromatherapy scent add the oils while the water is hot,

but not while it is still boiling. You don’t want your oils

to burn off. Wafting the oils into the air while the water

is hot will also give you that citronella candle effect.

9. Easy Garlic & Vinegar Mixture – Mosquitos

hate both garlic and vinegar.

• 1 Garlic with peeled cloves.

• 4 oz. of Vinegar

• 12oz. of Rubbing alcohol

The essential oils that can be added for a nicer smell:

• Cinnamon oil

• Lemon eucalyptus oil

• Citronella oil

• Castor oil

This mixture is easy and light. You can spray your

clothes and your skin, but also the room that you’re

sitting in. The lightness of the recipe with float in the

air if used with a good spray bottle. Boil the garlic down

in water and mash it into a paste so that the oils seep

out. Add the vinegar and rubbing alcohol. Add any

other oils at your pleasure, but it is not necessary for

efficacy.

10. Blazing Bug Spice – Some spices are good for

repelling bugs. Just make sure that you stick to

oils. For example, some people will add natural

homemade mustard along with mustard oil

extract. Occasionally, you will find people who

recommend this, however, using store bought

foods with additives and sugars to your mixtures

will only draw bugs. That’s definitely not what

you want.

• 10 drops of Mustard oil

• 10 drops of Cinnamon

• 10 drops of Basil oil

• 30 drops of Peppermint oil

• One mashed Garlic clove

• 5 ounces of Witch hazel

Mash the garlic clove into a finely diced and pureed

state and mix into the witch hazel. Mix well and add the

oils to the mixture. Shake this mixture and let it sit for

a while to allow the garlic and witch hazel to fuse. Shake

well before use, and for sure, don’t spray this in your

eyes. It works great when spritzed into the collar of

your shirt. Of course, you’ll be safe from vampires as

well so this recipe is a double bonus.

Chapter 5

10 Recipes for Natural and Homemade Ant

Repellent and Killers

1. Marigold Insect and Fly Spray Recipe:

Marigolds repel all sorts of unwanted pests.

Typically, you plant marigolds around the perimeter of

your garden to keep leaf eating grubs off your plants

and herbs. This is a very effective way to plan your

garden and many people who rely on their back yard

gardens know this trick.

Luckily marigolds work well inside the house just as

well. Just go outside and cut a few of the flowers and

bring them inside. Cut the entire plant. You want the

flower, the leaves, the stem and all. The greener the

better. It holds more juice. Cut the flowers up into

small pieces and put them in the blender with two cups

of water.

Pour the fly spray into a glass jar for 24 -48 hours,

capped tightly, and allow the natural chemical

compounds in the marigold to be drawn out into the

water. When you walk by it, shake it once or twice. You

can spray this in under your sink and in the corners to

keep the ants away. You can even sprits your other

plants to keep the tomato grubs away.

2. The Traditional Peppermint Repellent -

When it comes to ant repellents it is more common to

mix your essential oils with water and alcohol. Since

you are probably not rubbing this on your skin and are

wiping it across your counter top, you probably don’t

want to use a carrier oil. It would make cleaning the

kitchen a drag. In fact, the alcohol promotes a sterile

environment. Mix these three ingredients into your

spray bottle, and shake well.

• 16 ounces of Water

• 1 ounce of Vegetable Glycerin– This is not

necessary to repel your insects. In this case

vegetable glycerin helps the water and

peppermint oil stick together. It will keep your

mixture in a desirable state, but if you don’t use

it just be sure to shake your bottle well before

each use.

• 40 drops of Peppermint Essential Oil– Research

has shown that peppermint essential oil does in

fact ants and even mice. Peppermint is a

pleasant smell and the more popular selection in

all of the natural products.

3. Tea Tree Oil has many purposes send away

pests is only one of its known uses. Many people

claim that tea tree oil is also good for soothing

and clearing rashes. This is an oil that is

commonly used in homemade soap for its

country folk medicinal purposes. This insect

repellant is multi-functional, it would not only

keep ants away from you, it would also keep

other insects away. To prepare this mixture

follow the following instructions:

• 1 cup of boiled water

• 1 cup of vinegar

• 25 drops of tea tree oil

• 15 drops of lavender oil

• 1 tsp. of witch hazel

Add all these ingredients into a small cosmetic

spray bottle. Cap the top and shake it well. Thoroughly

mix the oils and water together. Immediately spray to

use. When reapplying makes sure the bottle is shaken

well again.

4. Jam Ant Bait – This is a way of killing ants and

spreading the poison back to the colony.

• 1 cup of borax

• 1 cup of apple jelly, jam, maple syrup, or

honey

To kill the ants in your home mix the borax with

your sugar food. Make a paste and put a small dollop

on a folded paper towel. Put the sticky paste in the

corner of your floor or a low place where the bugs have

easy access. Make sure people won’t stumble across the

paste. You don’t necessarily want this tracked all over

the house. The sugar will stick to the floor and what

may look like a cleanup on the first wipe over may turn

into a dirt magnet over a few days.

If you stick around and watch the ants carry the

paste away don’t worry. Borax doesn’t work

immediately. This is good; it gives the ants time to take

the paste back home and share it with its ant family. It

will kill more than you think.

Keep this away from children and pets. Don’t

leave the paste where your puppies can come by and

lick it up.

5. The Orange Peel Solution - Another useful

ant repellant is citrus. Orange peels will not only

repel ants; it will kill them.

This is a very simple recipe that you can make in a

matter of minutes.

• A blender

• A pot of boiling water

• A pile of orange peels

Boil the water and add the orange peels. Allow

this to continue boiling until the peels are soft and

deteriorated. This may take 20 minutes. Add the

water to the blender and mix until it is smooth. You

can boil the water again to make it scalding for a

stronger effect if you want. Pour the pot of water on

the ant hill or at the source if you think they have

nested behind a cupboard. The citrus will kill many

if not all.

6. The Kitchen Repellant – The following is a

favorite because it will make the scout ants run

and the ingredients are commonly found in the

spice cabinet in any kitchen.

• 4 oz. of Lemon Juice

• 1 tbsp. of Cinnamon

• 1 tbsp. of crushed Basil

Crush the dried basil leaves into a powder. Mix the

lemon juice, cinnamon, and crushed basil powder into

a single mixture in a spray bottle. Mix well and spray

directly on the source of the ants. Spray along any

suspected entrances. This will repel and create a

barrier that will make the ants look for another place to

gain access to their path.

7. Soap, Water, and Magical Dirt

Diatomaceous earth is lethal if you are a tiny living

creature. Make sure you find the food grade product.

First spray down the floor or counter with hot soap and

water. Sprinkle the diatomaceous earth in a place

where your ants are known to congregate. When they

come into contact with the white powder like material

their bodies will be badly injured with the reaction of

the diatoms. This is completely harmless to human,

kids, pets, and all animals. In fact, you can even eat it

to get rid of intestinal worms and parasites. This

doesn’t work instantly. It can take anywhere from 7 –

14 days for you to notice your ant problem to disappear.

8. Protein Baits – Sugars aren’t the only types of

foods that draw an ant’s attention when it comes

to collecting food.

• 2 TBS Boric Acid (Borax)

• Peanut Butter or Bacon Grease

Mix and set out in dollops on pieces of paper

towel. As we mention in the jam recipe Boric Acid

can be harmful if swallowed. If you have kids or pets

in the home who could get into the paste, set the

bait in covered yogurt containers with the lids

snapped on and with a few holes poked in the sides.

You could also use glass jars sealed with lids–just

poke holes in the top lid. For strong attraction,

smear a bit of non-poisoned bait on top of the lid so

they’ll find it easily.

9. Peppermint & Spearmint Sprigs -

Fresh peppermint and spearmint can be grown

in your garden or in little pots in your window

sill. Ants hate the smell of fresh mint and an easy

solution that will stop them in their tracks is to

pinch a peppermint leaf from a live plant. Twist

the sprig so that it breaks and releases its oil.

You can put a few finger nail imprints into the

leaf and leave the fresh leaf in the window sill,

or under the sink. The leaf will send all the ants

away and confuse their sense of smell so that

they can’t find the pheromone trails left by other

ants.

Chapter 6 Tick Repellant

A tick’s system of transportation relies mostly

on their sense of smell. They can’t jump or fly, so they

do something called “questing”. They climb to the end

of a reed or stick and stick their front legs in the air and

wait for a nice warm-blooded animal to walk by. They

will cling onto anything moving pat and then crawl to a

nice warm safe place to sink its mouth for a blood

drink. This is good because when you find a scent that

a tick doesn’t like you can use this and it will be sure to

pick up on the smell with its keen smelling organs.

Rose Geranium Oil is an Essential Oil the Ticks

Hate

Rose Geranium is one of the essential oils with

strong scent that will repel all the pests, but ticks are

especially known to hate Rose Geranium oil and this is

an effective weapon in preventative disease to keep the

dreaded deer ticks away. There are two types of rose

geranium oil. In order to get the most potent type in

repelling ticks, you want to find the one with the

botanical name Pelargonium capitatum x radens. The

more popular rose geranium oil under the name

Pelargonium graveolens is a part of the same family,

but not the same species.

Most essential oils need to be diluted with water,

alcohol, or witch hazel as you’ve learned by now.

However, rose geranium does not fall require this step

if used in small doses. All you need is a few drops to do

the job, a little goes a long way. You can make it as

simple as placing a drop on each ankle and on the

wrists, then a drop or two on your clothing and in your

scalp at the back of your head. Geranium oil is also safe

for dogs, and they only need a small amount. One drop

behind each shoulder blade and at the top of the base

of the tail. Be careful to avoid the face and nose. You

don’t want to overwhelm a creature with a powerful

sense of smell. You can keep this in a tinted brown jar

with an eye dropper if you want to use the oils this way.

However, like the recipes that you’ve just read

about. You can dilute the geranium oil in alcohol and

apply it with a spray bottle for more even coverage.

Also, you can add any of the other essential oils to

compound the efficacy for other biting insects. Your

other oils do need to be diluted, so If you choose to do

it this way you must use the spray bottle method.

Tick Repellent in the form of dust

Another effective parasite dust can be made from the

following herbs:

• Powdered Rosemary

• Powdered Rue

• Powdered Wormwood

Harvest these herbs and tie them up to dry them

out. When they are thoroughly dried pulverize them

into a fine dust. You can even put the dry leaves into

the food processor. Mix the herbs in equal parts in a

shaker top jar and store in a cool, dark place. Dust your

coat with this powder before venturing into tick

infested areas, working it into the coat with your

fingers. Dust your camping gear such as sleeping bags

and fabrics. You can even store the sleeping bags when

not in use with a fine amount of herb dust. This way it

is thoroughly worked into the fabric when it’s time for

use.

Spray Based Recipe

• 2 oz. apple cider vinegar, witch hazel or vodka

• 2 oz. water

• 20-40 drops geranium bourbon essential oil to

Make

Because oils don’t mix well with water, add your

geranium oil to the apple cider vinegar, witch hazel or

vodka first. Add a squirt of liquid soap if desired and

allow it to sit for a couple of minutes before giving the

mixture a stir. This will disperse the geranium oil in the

liquid. Add water and pour into a spray bottle. Shake

well before use. Spray on skin or clothes before going

outside.

You can also add geranium oil by the dropper full to

your normal baby lotion or massage oil and rub it into

your skin. Your hair will carry the fragrance also if you

add the essential oil by the dropper into your hair oil or

frizz management hair product.

Chapter 7

Bonus – 2 Recipes to sooth Poison Ivy

The two bonus recipes in this book are a little

more advanced than the previous 20. The recipe first

recipe for soothing poison ivy is a homemade soap

recipe. This assumes you know the basics of cold

process soap making. If you do not, we recommend

that you stop here and read about the basics of cold

process soap making including the important safety

precautions included. This is because a major

ingredient in homemade soap is lye. Lye is a household

chemical usually found in the form of drain cleaner

known as Drano. If you are unfamiliar with working

with lye it is important to take a step back and become

familiar with these precautions. Lye can burn or create

blindness if used improperly.

For complete instructions on lye safety and soap

making in the cold process method we recommend our

soap & bath book: 90 Homemade Soap & Bath Recipes:

Thermal Mermaid's Artisan Soap Makers Book

If you are familiar with soap making, then the

following recipes will be great additions to the summer

medicine cabinet when the kids come inside from play

with rashy irritations due to romping through itchy

plants

1. Jewelweed Cold Process Soap

This is an advanced recipe meant for those who

already know the basics on how to make hot

process soap. There are safety precautions that

must be followed in making a lye and water

solution.

This is the one recipe where you may have to do

a little foraging. Jewelweed isn’t exactly found in

the grocery store, and if you live in the north east

United States you’ll have to go outside and find

some between May and October. Jewelweed is

nature’s soother to poison ivy. If you make this to

sell, you make not make claims that any of your

products “cure” anything. You can however call

your soap “Poison Ivy Soap”

• 10.64 oz. of Water

• 3.77 oz. of Lye

• 12 oz. of palm oil

• 8 oz. Of castor oil

• 6 oz. of coconut oil

• 2 oz. of cocoa butter

• 1 cup of jewelweed petals and leaves

• 1 cup of pureed plantains

• 1 tsp. of orange mica

• 1 tsp of titanium dioxide

First make a tea with your water and 1 cup of

jewelweed leaves. Simmer the water. The recipe calls

for 10.64 oz. You will need to start with twice as much

as you will lose water in evaporation. Simmer your

water to make an infusion with the jewelweed. Take the

water off the heat and place it in the refrigerator

overnight. Let the plant soak in the water for as long as

possible, perhaps overnight, but at least until the water

is chilled.

Make your lye solution, and set it aside to cool.

(If you do not know how to do this we recommend that

you first learn the basics of cold process soap making

found in our first book.)

Mix your oils. Blend the lye and oils and use

your stick blender until you get a light trace. Add your

pureed plantains. (Plantains have also been noted to

have properties that sooth poison ivy) Split the batter

into two parts. In one part add a tsp of titanium

dioxide. It is best to first mix your white titanium

dioxide in a little oil so that it is smooth and free of

lumps when you add it to your batter. In the second

part add your orange mica the same way. Pour the two

parts in your mold and give it a decorative swirl with a

spoon or chop stick. Set this soap aside for 24 hours

before cutting. This soap will be cured in 4 – 6 weeks.

2. Plantain Soothing Salve

Makes about 1 cup. You can scoop these into 8 2 oz.

jars with screw top lids that you can get at any craft

store or online at your local soap supplier. If you want

to use bigger jars, 4 4 oz. glass mason jars work well

and are available at your local grocery store.

• 1 cup fresh plantain leaves gathered from an

area that has not been sprayed with chemicals,

chopped

• 12 ounces of olive oil or melted coconut oil

• 2 tablespoons of beeswax pastilles (or natural if

you have a local honey bee keeper)

• 1/2 – 1 teaspoon tea tree essential oil, optional

A note on preservatives:

When making homemade cosmetics you can get

mold and bacteria growing in your product anytime

water is introduced. If there is not water in your

product, then there is not mold and no need for a

preservative.

Preservatives are sometimes a topic of controversy.

Often times the whole reason for making things at

home is to avoid preservatives and chemicals. There

are a few ways to tackle this.

The first way is to skip the preservative. If you are

making a product to sell at a farmer’s market or give as

a gift, this is highly discouraged. Microbial growth in a

product can be dangerous by encouraging skin

infections, but it can even be fatal to a person who has

a compromised immune system.

If you are making a product for your own

personal use you can forgo the preservative, but be

aware you need to treat your product like food. Don’t

let it sit in a wet or warm area. Keep it in the fridge if

possible and throw it ways after a few days.

The second solution is to use a natural

preservative. Grapefruit seed extract is a well-known

natural preservative, but it may alter your final

product. Also, the shelf life of your product may be

lengthened, but will not last as long as long as a

commercial product.

The third choice is to buy a chemical

preservative from your local soap supply store. There

are chemicals like Garmabin that are commonly added

to homemade products to ensure the prevention of

unwanted contaminates. I personally choose to add

preservatives if I am making a large quantity and want

my product to last a few months. I personally feel

confident with the common preservatives offered by

soap suppliers. They have been around for a very long

time, and I am satisfied with the studies on these

products.

Here are ways to limit the amount of water introduced

to your product

• Dry your leaves as completely as possible, a food

dehydrator is a great way to do this

• Make sure your jar is also very dry and wiped

down with rubbing alcohol

• If you are making a tincture, make sure to fill the

jar all the way to the top with grapeseed oil. This

will inhibit condensation and prevent water

from collecting.

How to make Plantain Salve:

You will need the plantain greens for this recipe.

These are the leaves attached to the fruit. If you can’t

harvest them yourself, you can find them at your local

grocer. If you don’t have luck finding them in your area,

you can order them online. Chop the leaves and chop

them in a food processor. Take the leaves and place

them in a clean mason jar. Fill the jar with coconut oil

until the leaves are covered. Pull out your crock pot and

set it on warm. It should be on the lightest setting. Lay

a kitchen towel inside the crock pot and fill it about half

with water. Let the water heat with the mason jar

inside. Let this tincture fuse for about 24 hours. You

can leave it longer if desired. Keep an eye on the cloth,

that the wet towel is not set on anything that can burn

like outlets or plugs.

Take a peek at your oil blend. Give it a mix with

a whisk or stick blender but not too much so that you

don’t get splinters of plant in your salve. Take the

mason jar out and strain the oil through a cheese cloth

filtering all the green plant particles out of the oil. If

any do get though they will tend to settle to the bottom.

Your plantain oil is ready to be turned into salve.

Gently heat your beeswax. If you are careful you

can do this in the microwave, but it has to be in short

bursts. Once it has thoroughly melted blend the wax to

the oil. Mix well and allow it to cool. Now, add any

essential oils you have chosen for fragrance. Blend

evenly, and pour your salve into its jars before it

becomes to firm. Let your product sit and thicken. Cap

your finished plantain salve and label them for your

friends.

Additional Tips and Thoughts

• Use precaution and thoughtfulness when

using and ingredients that might be new

to you. Make sure you do a skin test for

allergies before rubbing any unknown

oils into your skin.

• Essential oils that are safe for humans

may have different effects on pets. Check

with your vet before applying any

unfamiliar products on your pet.

• Pregnant, nursing women, and children

should always consult with a doctor

before using chemicals or essential oils.

• Perishable products can spoil. Do not

consume spoiled or rotten food or

products.

• Store your products carefully to prevent

cross contamination and store properly

away from food products so they cannot

be mistaken for each other.

Sneak Preview

If you found the information in this book helpful,

please explore a sneak peek at our first publication.

90 Homemade Soap & Bath Recipes: Thermal

Mermaid's Artisan Soap Makers Book

The Artisan Soap Makers Book is more than just

a ‘how to’ on soap making for the beginner. It is a step

by step introduction of creating an item that can be

prepared, packaged, and sold for the purpose of

building a small hobby business. The information in

this book will provide hands on step by step

instructions on how to make detergent free bath

products at home, but the ultimate goal of this book is

to provide the properly motivated type to have access

to ideas that will allow them to run a small business

with a low barrier to entry and provide a potential

income so that one can be a little more self-sufficient

tomorrow than they are today.

What you will find in this book:

1. A step by step guide on soaps and bath products

made at a quality that one can sell in their

community.

2. A description of the bare bones cheapest way to

make the basics for the beginner.

3. Over 100 recipes that you can use and tweak to

make your products

4. A breakdown of everything you will need to get

started.

5. A dictionary and explanation of all the possible

ingredients you can use and how to use them.

6. Where to sell your products and how to prepare

yourself to run a business.

7. Thinking about your profit. How to price your

items.

This guide has an additional workbook available

where you can write down your recipe pages and

calculate costs. See the paper back copy version of

this book to get the attached workbook. It will save

you time and help you see the big picture in your

business when you can see your calculations on

pages side by side.

How to Use this Book

Soap making has become an increasingly

popular hobby in the last few years, and one will find

many great books on the shelves with hundreds of

homemade recipes. This book is meant for the

beginner who is looking for an affordable start up

business and finds soap making in their realm of

interest, and will hold your hand with explanations on

how to create a product and how to start a business

from almost nothing.

This book is meant to be a resource to be kept

for easy access, but it will also go one step further than

an average soap “cookbook”. This resource will show

you how to break down and record your recipes so that

you know exactly how much you are spending on each

individual product you create so you know exactly how

much you need to price each item at in order to run

your business. This book is for the heart of the business

man, not the at home mom looking for an afterschool

activity with the kids. If you are the latter, simply go

over to your local craft and hobby shop and find the one

or two small shelves with melt and pour glycerin and

plastic disposable molds and read the back of the

package for instructions. You can make a few bars of

soap with the kids for fun and be cleaned up in less than

an hour. If you are interested in making this a small on

the side business that could turn into something else,

read on.

90 Homemade Soap & Bath Recipes: Thermal

Mermaid's Artisan Soap Makers Book