Welcome friends...thanks for coming by. We're seeking beauty in all of creation... in our faith and our families; our art and our music; our crafts and kitchens, and even in our own backyard. We'll share a poem or a recipe, a picture or a memory; maybe a dream of how we wish our life could be. And though we acknowledge that the world can be harsh, we're keeping it pleasant in our little corner; endeavoring to keep the words from the Book of all Books: ...Whatsoever things are lovely; think on these things.

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Photo: Bee and thistle: Taken high in the Cascade Mountains where there is a bee buzzing on every thistle. by Debora Rorvig

Saturday, July 20, 2013

When life hands you lemons; make rosemary lemon spray

3 mornings in a row I woke with bites on my legs. Yikes! I tore the bed apart looking for bedbugs. No evidence. Whew! I washed all of my bed linens in hot water with bleach, vacuumed every nook and cranny, dusted and wiped down the baseboards...it's clean as a whistle in there. The same day  I visited my naturopath for another issue. She looked at the bites and said, "Got pets?"
 "Yep."
"Do they sleep in your room."
"Yep."
"Do they go outside?"
"Yep."
"Have you toxified them with noxious flea preparations?"
"Nope. The don't seem to be scratching so I've been holding off."
"What you've got here are flea bites."

Sooo, I went home and looked Baron and Posie over real good. They don't have fleas. But I'll concede that one or two fleas could've hitched a ride into the house on them.
just in case,  I made up this batch of natural flea repellent to spray on them.




ROSEMARY-LEMON SPRAY
  • 1 lemon, thinly sliced.
  • 1 big sprig of rosemary, chopped to release essential oils.
  • 1 quart of boiling water. 
  •  Put the lemon and rosemary into a jar and pour the hot water over them.
  •  Let it steep overnight.
  •  Strain the lemon and rosemary leaves out, and pour the liquid into a spray bottle. 

Spray the dog. Chase the cat and try to spray her.
Careful not to get it into their eyes or  the lemon will sting and they'll be traumatized at the sight of spray bottles for the rest of their lives. If you like, you could soak a bandanna in it, let it dry, and tie it about fido's neck.
Note: This stuff is not supposed to get rid of infestations...just repel fleas that are thinking about hopping on them. Unlike humans, bugs think that rosemary stinks. They avoid it.



But wait, here's the very best part. This spray smells just divine. I've been spraying it on myself, on the counters, all over the bathroom fixtures. It's just lovely! I love it so much that I went back to the market and bought more lemons so that I can keep this spray on hand all of the time. That's just how much I love it! (Another note here...When you spray yourself, the scent doesn't hang around long. :/
That said, remember that fido's sense of smell is 1000 times stronger than yours...and hopefully that goes for Mr. Flea also. So don't overdo things just because the smell has dissipated a bit. What I'm trying to say here is, don't drench the poor dog or cat in this. Be sensible.)

The moral of the story of course is: When life hands you lemons (or flea bites); make rosemary lemon spray!

:)
 



 

9 comments:

Elephant's Child said...

That sounds (almost) worth having flea bites. I suspect mosquitos would object too.
I don't think I have a snow balls chance in hell in spraying my cats though - unless they are firmly asleep.

Susan said...

Gosh, that sounds like a great idea! I think I'm going to try that for our cat as she goes outside in the summertime.

Thanks for sharing! Hope it works. Susan

joanne said...

good to know~ I've just put lemons on my shopping list! have a nice Sunday.

farmlady said...

And if it doesn't get rid of the fleas... wear it yourself. I love this. It's got to smell good. I bet the dogs smell better too.

Myrna R. said...

Thank you. I intend to use this. So glad I stopped by today.

Susan Flett Swiderski said...

Ugh. I HATE fleas. Our cats are strictly indoor cats, so we don't have a problem with fleas, but that
rosemary spray sounds wonderful. Since rosemary is growing like crazy in our yard, it might be worth a shot to make up some of that spray just because it'd smell so darned good. Thanks!

Debora said...

Thanks ladies, for your positive comments. Let me know if you think it works on your pets. And Elephant's Child, I hear you. I chased Posie all over the house and only managed a couple of squirts!

BECKY said...

Oh, Debora! How perfect that I stopped by today! First I read your "Shiftless" post, and then this! I've had bites all over me this summer...and yes Vern sleeps on my side of the bed...but on top of all the covers. (Does that matter?!)And, no he doesn't have fleas, either. I still think they are mosquito bites because they're always swarming around and dive-bombing me when I'm outside! BUT, Hey...I'm with the other gals...I'm going to make some of that yummy smelling concoction, spray it on Vern, and myself, and everywhere!! Thanks so much!! :)

Anneliese said...

That does sound like it would smell nice! I wonder if it would repel mosquitoes.

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