Baaaack, Baaaack You Bloodsuckers

Mosquito season in my neck of the woods is not pleasant. 

Avoiding DEET, I purchased a variety of "healthy" bug repellants, which usually are unpleasant yellow oil that can potentially stain clothing. And the success rate is not even the best; I even bought a sunblock with the aforementioned grease with claims of bug repelling, and came home with four bites on my legs.

One day last summer I tried a new sunblock—not as a repellant—and was surprised that day after day my legs were unmolested. 

The sunscreen is Alba Botanica Lavender Sunblock. The lavender, it seems, was keeping my skin whole. 

Along with the sunscreen, I purchased a lavender body spray, which I used liberally throughout the summer. I sailed through August with barely any bites, and the smell is pleasant and soothing. I used it on the kinfauna when I took them outside; no  more worries I was going to return scratching children to their parents. It's great because I can apply it on Shabbos, as opposed to greasy creams. 

I ran out in the beginning of September. I didn't bother to restock, since how long could the mosquitoes last? 

Almost into October. I was one, big, itching welt.

This year, I bought the BIG bottle of lavender. And will definitely reorder if it gets low.

For on-the-go refreshers, I purchased a travel-sized atomizer. In purple. ('Cause it's lavender, get it?)  

Lavender is a great bug repellant in general. Plant lavender around the property, and one can even use lavender incense for evenings outside. It has been concluded (I saw this on AOL, but misplaced the link) that the best moth repellant is lavender, not cedar, mint, or lemon. I got a bag of loose dried flowers to make my own sachets for my drawers and closets.