{"id":51225,"date":"2014-08-20T00:09:18","date_gmt":"2014-08-20T07:09:18","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/?p=51225"},"modified":"2014-08-20T00:09:18","modified_gmt":"2014-08-20T07:09:18","slug":"gallinipper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/51225","title":{"rendered":"gallinipper"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\tListen \u2026<\/p>\n

\"600px-Donkey's_ear\"

Photo by Hakan Dahlstrom via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

You can run, but you can’t hide!<\/p>\n

\"563px-Lamb_hiding_in_the_rushes__-_geograph_org_uk_-_1279285\"

Photo by Steve Povey via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

The gallinippers are out for blood!<\/p>\n

Yup, gallinippers<\/i>.<\/p>\n

They’re not vile villains from a scary sci-fi movie (although they do fit the bill).<\/p>\n

\"108-THE_MOSQUITOES_LIKED_THE_COSTUME\"

Image from Bill Nye’s History of the United States (1894) via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

Gallinippers, as some of you may know, are mosquitoes.<\/p>\n

Specifically, BIG ones.<\/p>\n

\"Psorophora-ciliata\"

Photo by Edibobb via Wikimedia Commons<\/p><\/div>\n

Gallinipper<\/b> (GAL-uh-nip-er): any of various insects that sting or bite, especially a large American mosquito, Psorophora ciliata<\/i> (shown in the photo above).<\/p>\n

Eeeks!<\/p>\n

So, have you been lucky (or sly) enough to avoid these annoying and potentially dangerous pests this year?<\/p>\n

If not, Erin McIntosh of Mountain Rose Herbs <\/a>is here to help. Check out her recipes for non-toxic DIY repellants and bite-soothing spray.<\/p>\n

Natural Bug Repellents for Summer Fun<\/h4>\n

The first recipe is a flower-water-based spray and the second recipe\u00a0uses oil for a longer-lasting solution.\u00a0Both contain catnip ingredients, since the essential oil found in catnip can actually\u00a0be just as effective as commercial chemical repellents, without the nasty side effects from toxins like DEET. If you have fresh catnip growing in the garden,\u00a0you can\u00a0use a high alcohol\u00a0tincture instead of the hydrosol. Pure grain alcohol (95%)\u00a0will totally dehydrate the catnip, extracting the oils in about a week. I\u2019ve also included my astringent spray recipe that can be used on bites to help stop itch and swelling.<\/p>\n

Summer Repellent Spray<\/h4>\n

8 oz organic Catnip Hydrosol
\n20 drops organic Cedarwood Essential Oil
\n20 drops organic Lavender Essential Oil
\n10 drops organic Lemongrass Essential Oil
\n10 drops organic Lemon Essential Oil<\/p>\n

Slowly drip each essential oil into the hydrosol, counting with care as you go. Mix all ingredients in the bottle by shaking vigorously. Shake well before each use and reapply as often as needed.<\/p>\n

Summer Repellent Oil<\/h4>\n

8 oz organic Jojoba Oil\u00a0or Almond Oil or Sunflower Oil
\n20 drops organic Lavender Essential Oil
\n15 drops organic Catnip Essential Oil
\n10 drops organic Eucalyptus Essential Oil
\n5 drops organic Rosemary Essential Oil<\/p>\n

Slowly drip each essential oil into the oil, counting with care as you go. Mix all ingredients in the bottle by rolling the bottle between the palms of your hands. Shake before each use and reapply as often as needed.<\/p>\n

Astringent Relief Spray<\/h4>\n

This spray will help ease the itchiness and pain of bug bites. Plantain is a classic herbal remedy for itchy bug bites, while green tea is also super astringent. The cooling nature of peppermint adds a comforting sensation.<\/p>\n

4 oz organic Peppermint Hydrosol
\n2 oz organic Green Tea, brewed
\n2 oz organic Plantain Tincture
\n3 drops organic Peppermint Essential Oil<\/p>\n

Pour all ingredients into a glass spray bottle. Shake well before each use and store in the cooler for an extra refreshing chill.<\/p>\n

Smudge Them Away!<\/h4>\n

Another good tip to know is that most bugs really hate aromatic smoke, but people love the nice smelling aroma! Instead of burning those chemical-soaked repellent candles, try burning a bundle of organic mugwort or white sage to smudge the area. You can also use the essential oil recipe blends above in a diffuser for an extra bug-away boost.<\/p>\n

 \t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Listen \u2026 You can run, but you can’t hide! The gallinippers are out for blood! Yup, gallinippers. They’re not vile villains from a scary sci-fi movie (although they do fit the bill). Gallinippers, as some of you may know, are … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a> Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-51225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-gleaming_word"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=51225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/51225\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=51225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=51225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.raisingjane.org\/journal\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=51225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}