BPAL oils that repel bugs, flies, mosquitoes, bees, insects?

[Mrs.Black]

Does anyone know which BPAL oils are good for repelling flies and mosquitoes?

(I think I saw a thread like this months ago but I can't find it now).

[harlequin]

i'm just takin a guess here, but i would say something with lemongrass might work, since it's related to citronella.. but the only one with that which hasn't been discontinued is Namaste...

[Nadirah]

Well, on my trip to Mexico recently, I took some Capricorn oil with me because of the Cedar in it. Luckly the mosquitos didnt hatch until the last day I was there. Unfortunatly it didnt matter what I did they were HUNGRY. I even put on the super strong insect repellents and they were STILL after me. I must taste good You might want to try eating alot of garlic and onions like alot. I don't think they liek the secretions...

I think www.Prairielandherbs.com has some insect repellent soap or something.

[Scylla]

Not that it would be much help to you now, since it's been discontinued, but Yuki-Onna had a mosquito repellent smell and effect on me. Maybe you could get some in a swap?

[surf-tormented]

Haunted. If it doesn't have citronella in it, I would be truly surprised.

[quinkel]

Patchouli is a repellent so i suppose any BPAL with lots of patchouli might work well

 

Malediction for example

[spaceprostitute]

Ok, I even hate suggesting this, for fear that it's misinterpretted as saying this oil smells like insect repellent, because it doesn't....but if, IF, the patchouli thing is true, then The Coiled Serpent is heavy on it.

 

I must say though, that I lurve The Coiled Serpent. It is the smoothest, warmest patchouli, taking on an almost chocolatey quality. This is the most perfect patchouli scent ever.

 

However, I can't confirm or deny the patchouli as an insect repellent thing. I can say though, that Burt's Bees makes an herbal insect repellent, and their repellent consists of mostly lemongrass oil with some citronella oil and rosemary oil in a grapeseed oil and vitamin e base. I also found this online at a website called thebestcontrol.com

 

The best treatment for insect bites and stings is to avoid them in the first place. If practical, wear 2 layers of clothing, avoid floral prints, hair spray, perfumes and shiny jewelry. The color blue is the preferred color of mosquitoes; wear white, tan and/or light green clothing. Routinely shower with peppermint soap. Try orally taking 3 - 4 garlic capsules and vitamin B and nutritional yeast daily. Avoid eating sugars, alcohol, tropical fruits and juices. Thread a sprig of elder through your hair. To create a mosquito-free environment, boil willow in water, burn artemesia in a campfire or diffuse various combinations of the oils of citronella, eucalyptus, pennyroyal, grape seed, almond, lavender, rosemary, tea tree, basil, geranium and/or sage into the areas. You can also make a room spray with water and a few drops of these essential oils or with enzymes. Essential oils, e.g., geraniol or geranium oil and coconut oil, diluted in olive oil or aloe vera nectar or jojoba can be applied topically to pulse points on your body every hour or so to repel insects (e.g., fire ants, ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, lice and gnats), but can be irritating to some people, so always test them on a small area of your skin first! As the odor lessens, so does the effectiveness. Try chamomile tea, thyme, sweet basil, yarrow, vanilla extract or try dilutions of camphor, tea tree, bergamot, patchouli, sandalwood, peppermint oil, Guatemalan lemon grass, lavender, cedar wood and pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) individually or as blends. Pennyroyal’s Latin name means mint and flea and the plant and smoke from its burning leaves help control these pests, but avoid mint plants if you are pregnant or sensitive. Other essential oils that can be made and used as repellents include menthol, citronella, eucalyptus, geranium and okra but they can stain clothing; do not drink them and be careful around your eyes and mouth when applying them.

[Mrs.Black]

Ok, I even hate suggesting this, for fear that it's misinterpretted as saying this oil smells like insect repellent, because it doesn't....but if, IF, the patchouli thing is true, then The Coiled Serpent is heavy on it.

 

I must say though, that I lurve The Coiled Serpent.  It is the smoothest, warmest patchouli, taking on an almost chocolatey quality.  This is the most perfect patchouli scent ever. 

 

However, I can't confirm or deny the patchouli as an insect repellent thing.  I can say though, that Burt's Bees makes an herbal insect repellent, and their repellent consists of mostly lemongrass oil with some citronella oil and rosemary oil in a grapeseed oil and vitamin e base.  I also found this online at a website called thebestcontrol.com

 

The best treatment for insect bites and stings is to avoid them in the first place. If practical, wear 2 layers of clothing, avoid floral prints, hair spray, perfumes and shiny jewelry. The color blue is the preferred color of mosquitoes; wear white, tan and/or light green clothing. Routinely shower with peppermint soap. Try orally taking 3 - 4 garlic capsules and vitamin B and nutritional yeast daily. Avoid eating sugars, alcohol, tropical fruits and juices. Thread a sprig of elder through your hair. To create a mosquito-free environment, boil willow in water, burn artemesia in a campfire or diffuse various combinations of the oils of citronella, eucalyptus, pennyroyal, grape seed, almond, lavender, rosemary, tea tree, basil, geranium and/or sage into the areas. You can also make a room spray with water and a few drops of these essential oils or with enzymes. Essential oils, e.g., geraniol or geranium oil and coconut oil, diluted in olive oil or aloe vera nectar or jojoba can be applied topically to pulse points on your body every hour or so to repel insects (e.g., fire ants, ticks, fleas, mosquitoes, lice and gnats), but can be irritating to some people, so always test them on a small area of your skin first! As the odor lessens, so does the effectiveness. Try chamomile tea, thyme, sweet basil, yarrow, vanilla extract or try dilutions of camphor, tea tree, bergamot, patchouli, sandalwood, peppermint oil, Guatemalan lemon grass, lavender, cedar wood and pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium) individually or as blends. Pennyroyal’s Latin name means mint and flea and the plant and smoke from its burning leaves help control these pests, but avoid mint plants if you are pregnant or sensitive. Other essential oils that can be made and used as repellents include menthol, citronella, eucalyptus, geranium and okra but they can stain clothing; do not drink them and be careful around your eyes and mouth when applying them.

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Thanks to everyone for the answers and special thanks to spaceprostitute for this wealth of information.

[VelvetSky]

Haunted. If it doesn't have citronella in it, I would be truly surprised.

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I'm living proof that Haunted doesnt' repel anything. In fact, it attracts. Bees...mosquitos....flies....ants....wasps.

 

I actually adore Haunted, I just don't wear it outdoors in the summer.

[Dark Sparkle]

Hi all,

 

This is one of my first posts by the way. I used the search function, but nothing really turned up specifically about this topic except for insect repellents.

 

Anway, I was wondering if anyone has had any experience with some of the oils attracting bees, wasps and other unwanted 'guests' in the summer, turning you in to a veritable beehive?

 

I once had a honey-scented hairgel that made me a bug target, so naturally, I try to avoid too sweet smelling products in the summer. I was just wondering if there are anyone who have had a similar experience with the oils?

 

Dark Sparkle, a clueless newbie!

[_dark_cello_]

I was wearing Juke Joint yesterday and was attacked by a bee. I wasn't sure if it was the perfume or my hair products. But it was buzzing around my face and head like no one's business.

[starrykitten]

I would say to keep bugs *away* wear something with lavender in it because it's an insect repellant.

[yeahbutnobut]

Aren't there also some oils that repel insects?

Look out for bpals that contain lemongrass, citronella or any lemony scent-they are renowned for their use as natural insect repellants. You can use them as room fragrance I think that cedar and cypress and rosemary may also keep the little blighters at bay (though I think those oils are for getting rid of moths, the lemony ones are for mosquitos and so on.)

[unmused]

Pennyroyal is an insect repellant as well. There's two Lab scents that feature pennyroyal (at least in the description, there might be others): Mad Hatter and Pain (which also has lavender in it.)

[yeahbutnobut]

Just a question-is pennyroyal poisonous? i've heard people say it's toxic but is that only if you ingest it?

[Dark Sparkle]

The thing is, I would really like to be able to wear some of my allready-favourites (I am currently putting a list of oils together for a massive order) like Black Annis, Sin, Darkness and Hamadryad plus my imp-list is mainly consisting of sweet smells. So, maybe I will have to include some more lemony, or lavender-ish scents for summer then .

 

Dark Sparkle

[Northernminx]

Almost anything perfumey has the chance to attract bugs however after a week of no hair products, it seems like the hair products have been more the culprit for me than the BPAL. I've not really noticed anymore bug issues wearing BPAL than not EXCEPT for Dana O Shee which had a small flock of bees attracted to me one time. However they were also attracted to half the yard.

 

Well that was vague and useless

[unmused]

Just a question-is pennyroyal poisonous? i've heard people say it's toxic but is that only if you ingest it?

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Yes, when ingested in large enough quantities it can be toxic and cause liver damage. What constitutes a "large quantity" I haven't a clue, but it's not really of concern in this case anyhow.

 

Oh and this refers to the ingestion of steeped teas from the leafs. There's also a "volatile oil" which can be extracted from the plant that is not recommended for internal use at all.

[RainyDayGrey]

I was wearing Whip out in the yard recently and the bees really seemed to dig it. It wasn't cute little honey bees either, but big old yellow jackets. Of course we have a nest somewhere in the yard, so there are a ton of them out there anyway, and bees have always seemed to like me. Regardless, I won't be wearing any heavy rose blends out in the yard any more. I guess it will be embalming fluid the next time I take the kids out to play.

[Dark Sparkle]

Almost anything perfumey has the chance to attract bugs however after a week of no hair products, it seems like the hair products have been more the culprit for me than the BPAL. I've not really noticed anymore bug issues wearing BPAL than not EXCEPT for Dana O Shee which had a small flock of bees attracted to me one time. However they were also attracted to half the yard.

 

Well that was vague and useless

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Actually, that just confirms to me that milky, honey-scents might be the culprit (and also hair products with something sweet-smelling in them) *L*, but then again, I guess it depends on how much you apply .

 

I am going to check up on Embalming Fluid too, it sounds really nice!

 

Dark Sparkle

[Brumbjorn]

I was pulling weeds wearing Chaste Moon and kept getting buzzed by various things. I went in, washed it off as best I could and the problem stopped.

 

I'm just going to wear any BPAL when gardening now (not that I do much anyway...)

[LupaWulf]

I'm going to do some mad bad and crazy paintballing with a bunch of stinky guys.

So obviously I'm going to aviod things which smell TOO sweet. And, much as I LOVE to wear them (both for scent and effect), anything from the Love Potion catagory. *envisions a bunk full of horney men eyeing her at night....*

 

I'm thinking MAYBE Dead Man's Hand will be ok since it's so leathery and good. Possibly Living Flame, and maybe some of the Ars Draconus? They arn't too sweet-ish... Banshee has citris so that's a posibility. Humm..

[ajcj213499]

I'm wondering if any of you have any experience with blends that seem to ward off mosquitoes. I know traditionally perfume attracts bugs, but have you had any times when the bugs seemed to stay away from you when you wore a certain BPAL?

[ayelienne]

How funny you should say that!

 

There are some scents that my husband, who grew up in Russia, say smell exactly like the bug spray they used when he was a kid.

 

3 Witches and Yuletide are two that I can think of offhand that he's mentioned.

[leftofcenter]

Tonight I wore Aizen -Myoo (so far my fave hot weather scent, too) and was hanging out at a gazebo with some friends and noticed the bugs were far less bothersome than usual. And I enabled a friend with its cool freshness