By MADELINE REIDA

Staff writer

The most widely known solution to biting insects is DEET, a chemical initially created as a pesticide. It blocks chemicals in human sweat that biting insects track but does not stop their ability to smell carbon dioxide and can be harmful in large doses and to young children.

This has led some to seek alternative bug repellents.

Heather Fay of Fay Family Chiropractic buys and uses a natural bug repellent made with a combination of essential oils.

“I like it a lot,” Fay said. “I use it sparingly and spray at a distance. There’s oil in it, so it can stain your clothes. But we have used that deterrent for years now; it’s a company that we trust.”

The spray is a mixture of citronella, thyme, cedar, geranium, and peppermint in a base of sesame seed oil — all of which reportedly deter mosquitoes and other biting insects.

The same plants frequently sell out at greenhouses. Gardener’s accounts of them say they work very well in dissuading bugs with none of the potential harm DEET has.