Green Options

Enter here to win one of three bottles of EcoSMART products!

EcoSMART makes a line of non-toxic insecticides made from botanicals - natural essential oils like peppermint, rosemary, and wintergreen.

“University research has shown that these oils attack the Octopamine neuro-receptors. Octopamine is a key insect neurotransmitter that regulates insect movement, behavior and metabolism. The blockage of the receptor activity prevents the transmission of the Octopamine signals, which leads to immobilization and/or knockdown, followed by death.” -EcoSMART Fact Sheet

EcoSMART products include an Insect Repellent, Ant and Roach Killer, Flying Insect Killer, and Wasp and Hornet Killer, all of which are safe around kids and pets.

“Eco–friendly and composed of natural ingredients, these compounds are biodegradable and help maintain a sustainable and healthy environment. Additionally, EcoSMART has no adverse impact on birds or fish and will not contaminate water sources.”

It’s bug season in New England. Blackflies, mosquitos, deer flies, no-see-ums, and even the ticks are moving northward to invade us.

Being a child playing all day outside can be a feast for these crawly creatures. Right now both my girls have big blackfly bites on their scalps, where it is hard to apply insect repellents.

Over the years, I’ve tried many natural bug repellents, some combination SPF and insect repellents. Most of them have relatively good safety ratings of 3 or under on the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep database. This is a good place to check out to see if your favorite brand has troublesome chemicals, or is one of the safer products.

Here are a few of my favorites: