It has begun.
They’re consuming my greens. They’re consuming my cows. They’re consuming us.
Similar to clockwork, every summer season season I uncover myself spending an inordinate time frame battling bugs.
Hanging fly strips (biggest invention EVAH), making pure hand-crafted insect repellents, sucking up moths with the vacuum, waging battle with the fly swatter… All of it comes with the territory when you reside out throughout the nation. Significantly when you reside out throughout the nation and have piles of manure in your once more pasture. *a-hem*
My hand-crafted bug sprays work impressively properly, nonetheless, you presumably can’t ever really anticipate to steer clear of all the bites… That’s the place at current’s recipe is pretty darn useful. Mix up a batch of these easy-to-transport tubes and take them with you on all these bug-filled summer season season adventures.
(this publish incorporates affiliate hyperlinks)
Hand-crafted Bug Chunk Support Stick
To make Pure Infused Coconut Oil:
First off, it is a necessity your sluggish cooker have a ‘warmth’ setting on it. Most cookers have a ‘low’ setting, nonetheless they’re nonetheless too scorching. We have to gently heat the herbs and oil, and within the occasion that they turn into too scorching, it’s going to fry the herbs and depart you with an unpleasant finish outcome.
Must you don’t have a sluggish cooker with a ‘warmth’ setting, go for one different strategy of infusion as a substitute, or just skip the herbs and use plain coconut oil.
Fill a small canning jar (I used half-pint dimension) half-way full with dried herbs.
My favorite herb decisions for this recipe are calendula, comfrey, chamomile, or plantain, as all of them carry anti-itch or skin-soothing properties. I moreover need dried herbs, as they don’t comprise the moisture of up to date herbs, which reduces the potential of spoilage throughout the final product.
Soften the coconut oil, and pour it over the dried herbs until it covers them by at least a lot of inches (additional is okay, too). Place the lids on the jars.
Place a towel throughout the bottom of your crockpot, place the jars on the towel. Add water to the crockpot until it comes about halfway up the edges of the jars.
Set the sluggish cooker on the “warmth” setting and allow it to sit for 12-24 hours. Stress the oil using a fine-mesh strainer, discard the herbs, and retailer the infused oil in a cool, darkish place.
To Make the Bug Chunk Support Sticks:
Using a double boiler (like this one), slowly soften the coconut oil and beeswax.
Must you don’t have a double boiler, merely use an oven-safe container to hold the wax/oil and place it in a small saucepan of water. An outdated tin can works good for this, significantly since it might be strong to clean the beeswax off your widespread kitchen utensils.
It shouldn’t take prolonged to melt the beeswax, and I usually pull it off the oven as shortly as a result of it’s melted all the way in which through which. No must let it simmer or get too scorching.
Allow the beeswax/coconut oil mixture to relax barely, then mix throughout the vital oils.
Pour the mixture into empty chapstick tubes. Must you don’t have chapstick tubes useful, a small tin or ointment container will work merely advantageous too.
Allow the tubes to harden, label, and immediately apply as needed to any annoying mosquito bites or insect bites you could possibly be dealing with.
Receive and print my FREE bug chew discount stick labels proper right here.
For those who want to get all fancy, you presumably can print the labels on sticker/label paper (waterproof is biggest). Nonetheless, stayed true to my redneck-ways and easily printed on widespread paper and affixed to my tubes with a bit of clear tape. It actually works. 😉
Notes:
- I actually like these bug chew discount tubes as they’re useful to pop proper right into a backpack, seaside bag, or purse. Nonetheless, steer clear of leaving them in a scorching car for a continual interval, as they may soften and soften a bit.
- Lavender and peppermint vital oils are an important part of this recipe as they every comprise skin-soothing properties. Nonetheless, be at liberty to fiddle with completely different vital oil mixtures. Frankincense, melaleuca (tea tree), patchouli, and/or roman chamomile are moreover good alternatives.
- Questioning what do to alongside along with your leftover herbal-infused coconut oil? Use it to make my hand-crafted udder balm recipe or my hand-crafted hand cream recipe.
Need bug chew discount correct now and don’t have time to mix up this recipe? Do that roller bottle combine as a substitute:
Quick & Easy Bug Chunk Roller Bottle
- 2 teaspoons of liquid vegetable oil (jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, apricot oil, avocado oil, olive oil, or fractionated coconut oil will all work)
- 10 drops lavender vital
- 10 drops peppermint vital oil
- Empty 10 mL roller bottle (if using a roller bottle of a singular dimension, regulate accordingly)
Mix all elements collectively throughout the roller bottle. Apply as needed.
