Column: Vinegar is a natural bug repellent

The poet Barry Cornwell wrote; “Oh the summer night; has a smile of light; And she sits on a sapphire throne.”

The past few evenings have been cool enough to sit outside and watch the fireflies bounce around like stardust and hear the crickets chirping away.

It was comfortable until the mosquitoes and an entourage of other pesky bugs came out with a vengeance, running all of us back indoors. How could this be? I thought I had a bug-free zone. I planted geraniums, marigolds and lavender, which worked last year. Those bugs are supposed to hate the smell of these plants.

When we came back inside, I saw a bottle of vinegar. Knowing vinegar is good for everything, I decided to see what I could do with it for the bugs. I checked it out and yes, it is a repellent for mosquitoes, flies, fleas and ticks. It’s also good for keeping away horses, apparently (but who would want to?).

When vinegar is sprayed on the skin, clothes or fur, it will deter most pests from landing or biting. You can use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar. If the vinegar smell repulses you or those around you, mix a few small drops of 100 percent organic essential oils (such as lavender, peppermint and lemon grass). All the oils should be 100 percent organic and mixed with nothing else.

We often resort to using chemicals for pest control, but there are many issues with their use. Pests can develop immunity to pesticides over time, making them less effective. In addition, there are possible toxic side effects to chemicals and many of us are eager to exclude or reduce them from our environment our food and water.

This story was originally published July 13, 2015 at 1:51 PM with the headline "Column: Vinegar is a natural bug repellent."