Buzz Off - a guide to mosquito free lake time

We will get right to the point of this blog post.  

Mosquitoes can ruin most any outing in a matter of minutes.

One minute your family is frolicking at the water's edge the next minute they are stampeding to the lake house for cover.  

As we interviewed our customers about their frustrations with lake life we heard a lot about mosquitoes, "the mosquitoes in Northern MN!! If someone could figure out how to get rid of them they'd be rich"

Well, we don't know how to get rid of them.  

But we do have some ideas on repellent worthy of your consideration.  And because we have grandchildren who want to spend every waking moment outside playing until the sun sets (the prime time to get bit) we are reluctant to spray them with commercial chemicals such as DEET so we opt for a more homeopathic approach.  

Lakehouse Outfitters gives you three ways to avoid and repel mosquitoes to insure a more enjoyable time at the lake (or cabin, or backyard or where ever).

1.  Stay indoors and make homemade lemonade and chocolate chip cookies; two activities everyone can participate in and enjoy as an alternative to being bitten mosquitoes.  Probably not what you were looking for but doesn't that sound yummy?

2.  Arm yourself with a small yet powerful bottle of doTerra TerraShield.   

Protect yourself and your family with doTerra essential oils! TerraShield essential oil blend contains 15 essential oils that have been proven to be more effective at repelling biting insects than synthetic repellents. Just a small amount smoothed on your skin, behind your ears, neck, inside elbows and knees will provide powerful coverage for up to 6 hours.  And it smells good - the bugs won't like it but you will.  You can find it online - I just bought two bottles, one for the lake house and one for my daughter's house for the grand daughters.  We were out on her patio the other night and the girls were getting bit like mad, which makes Kiki mad!

3.  Whip up a batch of All-Natural Homemade Bug Spray that works - we found this easy recipe online thanks to Wellness Mama. Note: She's also using essential oils

Wellness Mama Bug Spray Ingredients:

• Essential Oils choose from Citronella, Clove, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Tea Tree, Cajeput, Eucalyptus, Cedar, Catnip, Lavender, Mint
• Natural Witch Hazel
• Distilled or boiled Water
• Vegetable glycerin (optional)

How to Make Homemade Bug Spray:

1. Fill spray bottle (I used 8 ounce) 1/2 full with distilled or boiled water
2. Add witch hazel to fill almost to the top
3. Add 1/2 tsp vegetable glycerin if using
4. Add 30-50 drops of essential oils to desired scent. The more oils you use, the stronger the spray will be. My personal favorite mix is: Rosemary, Clove, Cajeput, Lavender, Cinnamon and Eucalyptus… it works great and smells good too!

Check out more recipes including her super strong insect repellent that STINKS by clicking Her Blog Here

And if you're still bugged by all of this - we've included the gardeners guide to keeping pests off plants.  Thanks doTerra!