I'll never forget this. Roughly 20 years ago I met a young child about 10 years old at an orphanage in Kenya. She was sitting on the ground against a wall unattended. She was mentally disturbed and physically disheveled. Sickness prevailed over her as she had numerous lesions on her body. Speech was not evident, she was not clean, and undoubtfully malnourished. I'm not even sure she could walk. One thing that I became fixated upon was the swarm of insects around her. They were flying on her and around her. They were attracted to her like a magnet. Insects were not flying around me. Insects were not bothering me. Insects were not bothering the team I was with or anyone else around. Only this child. Insects were attracted to this child. What was different about her? Insects gravitate toward what is unhealthy, what is decaying, what is broken down, what has been destroyed, what is corroding. That was all very descriptive of this child. Hence the attraction.
What would you consider this child's immediate need? Think about it. Would it be OFF bug spray? Would it be essential oils to deter the insects? Would it even be herbs to deter the insects? No no and no. It would be health and wellness. Healing from within. Root cause addressed. Proper nutrition. Sense of safety. Immune strengthening. And the list goes on. Once nutrition is appropriate and health is restored, if a mosquito comes upon her then we could look at perhaps a natural insect spray. For the countless requests I receive asking for non-toxic alternatives to fleas and ticks - I hope this experience is enlightening. While there are natural deterrents, building the health of your dog is the primary defense. There is nothing conventional or natural that can truly be effective if we do not build an unattractive host. Work with a natural health practitioner to support your dog from within to combat those pesky pests.