Here's How I Avoid Bug Bites (and Chemicals)

I just returned from the wild woolies of the North, where the living is easy and the bugs are ferocious. 

Northern insects particularly loved me because I hate spraying my kids (or dog) with chemicals.

But the buggy dinner bell will no longer ring when the Cassar family arrives.

I have found Buzz-B-Gone at .

It's all natural

Buzz-B-Gone is an all-natural bug repellent made with three simple ingredients: witch hazel, sweet almond oil and lemon eucalyptus oil. It repels mosquitoes, ticks and the truly evil biting flies.

"Lemon eucalyptus works the best," Moon River owner Liz Aprea said. "Even if a bug lands on you, it flies away without biting."

But don't just take her word on it. Aprea cited two studies on the effectiveness of lemon eucalyptus:

• The New England Journal of Medicine compared different synthetic chemical and herbal repellents. They found a lemon eucalyptus repellent provided 120.1 minutes of mosquito protection, more than a repellent with a low concentration of the chemical DEET.
• A study by the US Department of Agriculture compared four synthetic and eight natural mosquito repellents. They found that lemon eucalyptus repellent was the most effective, moreso than a 7 percent DEET repellent.

"They've known since 1949 that lemon eucalyptus was effective, so why go to DEET?" Aprea said.

Three years in the making

Aprea has been making Buzz-B-Gone for three years and has tweaked the product to perfection.

"We've added witch hazel to break the oiliness. It sprays from the bottle in a nice mist," Aprea said. 

Another improvement was adding waterproof labels so the bottle can survive summers tossed in a beach bag or out camping.

While the EPA website states lemon eucalyptus repellents are for children older than 3, for her own grandbabies, Aprea sprays the stroller with Buzz-B-Gone.

And as for our furry friends, Aprea said lemon eucalyptus is listed as an essential oil safe for dogs. I know enjoyed a break from the bugs on our Up North adventures.

Moon River Soap is located at 339 East Street. They are open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Soap is made for public viewing daily at 10 a.m. Call 586-725-2357 with questions. To read more about the Aprea family business, click .